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Spain's PM Pedro Sánchez unveils €500 million integration plan as mass migrant regularisation exceeds one million apps
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented a new Integration and Citizenship Plan funded with more than €500 million for its first year. The plan creates a State Agency for Human Mobility and outlines four pillars – regularisation of irregular migrants, labour‑mobility strategy, social cohesion programmes and reinforcement of public services – with measures such as 100 000 vocational‑training places, €30 million for language and anti‑hate‑speech programmes, and €200 million to improve health, education and housing access.
The scheme coincides with the closing of the extraordinary regularisation window on 30 June. The government received over 1 million applications, far above the original estimate of 500 000. Applicants must have lived in Spain for at least five months before 1 January and have a clean criminal record. Sánchez warned that without immigration Spain would lose about 19 % of its GDP by 2050, citing potential closures of 90 000 bars, 220 000 farms and 50 000 schools.
Opposition parties and the Supreme Court have raised legal questions, with the court considering a referral to the EU Court of Justice over possible conflict with EU migration rules. Critics claim the measure could encourage further irregular arrivals and strain public services, while the government stresses it is a humane and economic necessity.