Spain has received at least 1.3 million applications for its new migrant amnesty program, a figure more than double the 500,000 anticipated by the country's center-left coalition government. The applications represent the largest such scheme in European history, according to data from the Mercurio platform.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described the amnesty as an act of justice and a means to foster economic growth and ease public tensions. Undocumented migrants were eligible to apply if they had been in Spain since January 1, possessed a clean criminal record, and could prove five consecutive months of residency. The application deadline was Tuesday, with decisions expected within three months.
As of mid-June, over 360,000 out of 900,000 initial applications had been granted provisional residency permits. Mauricio Valiente, chief executive of the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR), predicted that around 900,000 total regularizations would be approved, noting that the approval rate is high due to straightforward requirements. He also cautioned that some applications might be duplicates.
Spain's immigration system has historically faced significant delays, leaving an estimated 840,000 undocumented migrants waiting years for residency permits while working informally, according to the think tank Funcas. The current amnesty aims to address this backlog, with expectations that the number of regularized individuals will surpass the 500,000 processed in 2005 and Italy's 2002 amnesty, which regularized 634,700 workers.
The Spanish government's approach stands in contrast to many conservative leaders across Europe who are tightening immigration policies. Prime Minister Sanchez has reportedly clashed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the amnesty, with Meloni expressing concerns it could affect the Schengen zone. Spain's opposition parties, the center-right Partido Popular (PP) and the hard-right Vox, have opposed the amnesty, arguing it will encourage further illegal immigration.