Migrants in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, June 2026 (Photo: AP)
Spain’s emergency program to grant legal status to migrants exceeded all of the authorities’ expectations. By the time the application period closed on June 30, 1.17 million people had submitted applications for legal status—twice the government’s initial projection.
The scale of the campaign came as a surprise to Madrid: authorities had expected to receive about 500,000 applications. Now Spain faces the task of processing one of the largest waves of migration in recent decades, according to Reuters.
Early results already show that the program has begun to change the situation in the labor market. More than 609,000 applicants have received temporary work permits, allowing them to work legally while their cases are under review. About 160,000 people have already signed employment contracts and moved out of the informal economy.
The majority of applications came from people originating from Latin America. Among the top groups are citizens of Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. A significant number of applications were also submitted by Moroccan citizens.
Most program participants are of working age. About 81% of applicants are under 45, and men account for 57% of the total number of applicants.
Legalization has become part of the government’s strategy to reduce the labor shortage. Spanish authorities expect that moving migrants from the “gray zone” into the formal sector will increase tax revenues and strengthen the social security system.
The greatest demand for new workers remains in construction, tourism, transportation, logistics, and elder care. These are the sectors that have been experiencing labor shortages in recent years.
The program, approved by royal decree in January 2026, applies to foreign nationals who can prove they have resided continuously in Spain for at least five months prior to the end of 2025 and have no criminal record.
The first 11,000 participants have already completed all the necessary checks and received one-year residence permits.
Madrid’s decision stands out against the backdrop of a general tightening of immigration policies in a number of European countries. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government is focusing on integrating migrants who are already in the country, citing the need to support the economy amid an aging population and a labor shortage.
