Spain Supreme Court Allows Residence Permits for Migrants with Criminal Records

Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that migrants who have criminal records may still qualify for residence permits when they have Spanish family members, overturning an automatic disqualification clause. The court said each case must be assessed individually, taking into account the seriousness of the offence, time elapsed, the applicant’s conduct, family situation and the best interests of any minor children.

The decision comes amid a large‑scale regularisation effort launched by the government, which aims to legalise up to three million migrants and their families. Officials estimate that many applicants will request family reunification, potentially adding three relatives for every person regularised. Police officials have voiced concerns that the shift of processing duties from the National Police to the Ministry of Migration could weaken document verification and background‑check procedures.