Spain's mass migrant amnesty raises Schengen and EU legal concerns

The Spanish government has granted legal residence and work permits to more than one million irregular migrants, creating the largest regularisation scheme in the country's recent history. Applicants who have lived in Spain for at least five months and have clean criminal records received one‑year permits, with an integration plan funded with €500 million.

The move has sparked fierce political opposition from Spain's right‑wing parties and raised alarm in Italy, which worries the scheme undermines the Schengen free‑movement area. The European Commission stresses that the permits apply only to Spain and do not grant automatic EU‑wide rights, while the Spanish Supreme Court has referred the legality of the decree to the EU Court of Justice.

Economists note potential short‑term boosts to tax revenue but warn of pressure on wages, housing, welfare and public services. If the EU Court invalidates the decree, the status of the newly regularised migrants and the future of internal EU border controls remain uncertain.