Spain launches mass legalization, offering legal status to half a million undocumented migrants

In April 2026 Spain enacted an extraordinary regularisation program via royal decree, granting undocumented migrants who arrived before 2026 and lack criminal convictions the right to apply for a one-year residence permit. The decree anticipated 500,000 to 800,000 eligible people, but more than a million have applied, reflecting the country’s high demand for legal status. Russian political researcher Alexander Finiarel, who arrived from Georgia with a group of journalists and activists, has lived without papers for two years and details daily obstacles such as finding housing, opening bank accounts and working legally.

He and his partner initially hoped for humanitarian residence permits that fell through, later seeking asylum amid a strained asylum system plagued by appointment scalping. The scheme was championed by Podemos after the Socialist Party resisted mass legalization, while the far-right Vox and centre-right People’s Party criticize it as a political tool. Critics warn it may attract more undocumented arrivals, but supporters cite the need to regularise essential workers and reduce exploitation.