Spain's migrant regularisation draws 1.2 million applications

Spain’s mass regularisation programme, launched in April 2024, received 1,174,978 applications by the 30 June deadline – more than twice the government’s initial estimate of 500,000. Of those, 609,737 have been admitted for processing, granting temporary residence and work permits while their cases are reviewed. The scheme is intended to legalise undocumented workers who are already employed in sectors such as construction, agriculture, hospitality and domestic care, which the government says would lose 19 % of GDP by 2050 without them.

Police and civil‑servants warn that the sheer volume will overwhelm the system that issues Foreigner Identity Cards (TIE). They anticipate a “collapse” of the ID‑card issuing process and warn of criminal networks reselling appointment slots. Because the law allows each regularised migrant to reunite with up to three family members, officials project that the effective number of new legal residents could rise to roughly three million, about 6 % of Spain’s population, straining health, education and social services.

Regional data show the impact on the labour market: in Alicante alone, 11,400 foreign workers registered with Social Security in May–June, pushing the province’s total foreign‑affiliated workers to a record 159,359. The influx underscores the dependence of Spain’s economy on migrant labour and the administrative challenges of integrating a suddenly regularised workforce.