EU criticizes Spain's regularization of 500,000 immigrants

The Spanish government approved a decree that will regularise roughly half a million migrants, most of them from Latin America. European Commission internal market and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said the move sends “a bad signal” to other EU Member States and expressed dissatisfaction, while noting that migration policy remains a national competence.

Brunner stressed that the regularisation does not grant the newly regularised people the right to live or work in other EU countries. He explained that they may travel within the EU for up to 90 days in any 180‑day period, after which they must return or become irregular. He added that the large share of Spanish‑speaking migrants makes integration easier, but warned that the policy could affect the broader Schengen area.

The commissioner also referred to a recent EU proposal establishing a legal framework for third‑country return centres, with interest shown by Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Greece, but said the Commission will only intervene once a Member State reaches an agreement with a third country.