The Spanish government decided this week to introduce a regularisation scheme granting around half a million undocumented people the right to a residence and work permit. The decision, adopted by royal decree, is the result of sustained efforts by NGOs and church organisations. In 2021, they launched a citizens' legislative initiative that ultimately led to this breakthrough.
To qualify for regularisation, migrants must have arrived in Spain before 31 December 2025, have no criminal record, and have been residing in the country for at least five months at the time of application. The application window runs from early April to the end of June this year.
The decision has been welcomed across civil society, not only by NGOs, church organisations and trade unions, but also by certain employers' organisations. UPA, the association representing small-scale farmers, described the measure as "a blessing for rural areas". In a press statement, the organisation stressed that agriculture and horticulture are facing a chronic labour shortage. "We need people to harvest our crops," they said. The lack of workers has been a key issue in farmers' protests that have gripped Spain for years and are still ongoing at the end of January.
Other sector organisations, including Coag and Asaja, have also responded positively to the Spanish government's move, according to newspaper El País. "This measure to regulate foreign workers seems positive to us. We want proper and effective regulation so that labour shortages can be avoided," said Juan José Álvarez of Asaja.
Other sectors such as hospitality, home care, construction and transport are also heavily dependent on migrant labour. While the Spanish economy is clearly on the rise, the labour market remains tight. This regularisation allows informal employment situations to be formalised, offering vulnerable workers better protection and more rights.
The measure is not without controversy, however. Right-wing opposition parties warn of a so-called "pull effect" and claim that the left-wing government is using the scheme — adopted by decree rather than through a parliamentary vote — to expand its electoral base. That criticism lacks substance: regularisation is not the same as naturalisation, and without Spanish nationality migrants are not allowed to vote in national or regional elections.
With this regularisation, Spain is moving against the broader European trend, where migration policy is increasingly focused on restriction. The Spanish approach also stands in sharp contrast to the situation in the United States, where undocumented migrants are being detained and deported, creating the risk of labour shortages in several sectors, including agriculture and horticulture.
Within Europe, Spain hosts a relatively large number of migrants due to its location on the Mediterranean — a key entry point for migrants from Africa — and its historical ties with Latin America, the region of origin for most migrants now eligible for regularisation.
The last time Spain implemented a regularisation of this scale was in 2005, when the measure received broad political support. Today, the political landscape is clearly different.
