Spanish Amnesty for Illegal Migrants Could Double in Size

The recent decision by the Spanish government to grant amnesty to half a million illegal migrants has stirred emotions across Europe. There are now warnings that the actual number could rise well above a million. According to the country’s prime minister, it is a matter of wealth, development, and prosperity.

The decision, announced at the end of January, covers migrants who entered the country before December 31, 2025. To be eligible, they must have lived in Spain for at least five months or have applied for asylum before the end of 2025. Those who are granted amnesty will have the right to work in any sector.

According to sources, the decision has caused anger in Brussels, and the Sweden Democrats warn that migrants with their new status may travel freely throughout Europe and that some may attempt to settle in other EU countries without permission.

According to a report from the Spanish police, there could be twice as many migrants as expected who could benefit from the government’s plan. The analysis, compiled by the National Center for Immigration and Borders (CNIF), part of the national police, estimates that between 750,000 and 1 million illegal migrants currently residing in the country could apply for legal status.

An additional 250,000 to 300,000 asylum seekers could also apply, which could bring the total well above a million – numbers that differ significantly from the approximately 500,000 figure cited by the government and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

The plan is for residence permits to be limited to one year, five for children, and then eligible for renewal. After ten years, migrants may obtain Spanish citizenship, or earlier for Latin Americans and refugees.

Increased Pull Factor

The analysis also warns that the program could act as a pull factor if Spain is seen as more tolerant regarding “irregular migration.” It predicts “secondary movements” of between 200,000 and 250,000 illegals per year from other Schengen countries.

This is not the first time Spain has granted amnesty to illegal immigrants. Between 1986 and 2005, 1.2 million migrants were granted legal status over nine occasions.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Photo: Partido Popular de Cantabria, CC BY 2.0

Wealth and Prosperity

After a storm of criticism, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the plan, stating that Spain chooses the path of “dignity, community, and justice.” In a video published on social media in January, he addressed critics by stating: “When did recognition of rights become something radical? When did empathy become something exceptional?”

Sánchez has also said that immigrants represent “wealth, development, and prosperity” for Spain.

One of the critics in Spain is Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative opposition party Partido Popular, who warns that the system could “increase attractiveness and overload our public services” as well as worsen the housing crisis.

– This plan comes at a time when rents and house prices are at record highs and working-class families are being pushed out of the cities, says Feijóo.

– Adding hundreds of thousands more people to a job market that is already strained during a severe housing crisis will exacerbate these problems, not solve them.

Immigration-Driven Population Growth

According to Pepa Millán, spokesperson for the national-conservative Vox party, the plan attacks Spanish identity and the party has promised to appeal to the Supreme Court in an attempt to block it.

In the past three years, Spain’s population has increased by 1.5 million to 48.9 million, with almost the entire growth attributable to immigration. Latin Americans make up 70 percent of the newcomers.

Sweden Democrats Demand Answers

Sweden Democrats’ EU parliamentarian Charlie Weimers has previously demanded an answer from the Social Democrats on how they view their Spanish sister party’s actions—a demand he now repeats with reference to the report.

“The Social Democrats have still not said whether they support the amnesty policy. The question is whether we will get an answer now that the media chooses not to ask the Social Democrats about the amnesty, but instead focuses on campaigning against the government’s migration policy,” Weimers writes, demanding an answer:

“How many million migrants and asylum seekers will the Social Democrats’ sister party legalize into Europe before Magdalena Andersson makes a statement?”