Spanish Supreme Court rejects bid to suspend migrant regularisation decree

Spain's Supreme Court, in its Administrative Litigation Chamber, rejected a request to suspend the extraordinary regularisation of migrants that the government approved on 14 April. The petition, brought by the regional government of Madrid and the far‑right Vox party, sought a precautionary injunction; the court admitted their standing but dismissed the request. It also rejected the appeals of several NGOs (Hazte Oír, Asociación por la Reconciliación y la Verdad Histórica, Libertad y Justicia) for lack of active legitimacy.

The court noted that more than 549,000 migrants have applied to the scheme, with about 91,500 applications admitted for processing. The decree, issued on 16 April and set to close on 30 June, grants provisional residence and work permits to foreigners already living in Spain who arrived before 1 January 2026 and meet basic criteria. The State's legal team argued that a suspension would directly affect the rights of applicants and the general interest, and clarified that none of the beneficiaries would be eligible to vote in forthcoming elections. Opponents warned of possible fiscal strain and political impact, particularly in regions such as Madrid where officials estimate up to 255,000 people could benefit.

The decision clears the way for immigration offices to continue processing applications, reinforcing the government's policy of integration for undocumented residents.