The Spanish government will carry out an extraordinary regularization of half a million migrants.

MadridA pact has been reached between the PSOE and Podemos parties to regularize the status of undocumented immigrants currently in Spain. This was announced by Podemos, through MEP Irene Montero, at an event this Monday in Madrid. She stated that the Spanish government will immediately issue a decree to end the irregular status of these individuals within Spain. Sources at La Moncloa (the Prime Minister's office) confirmed to ARA that the decree will be issued this Tuesday. The measure would affect half a million migrants (of whom more than 150,000 reside in Catalonia), according to Podemos's calculations. These migrants will have to prove five months of residency in Spain prior to December 31, 2025. They will have until June 30, six months from now, to complete the necessary paperwork. According to sources within Podemos, this measure will be implemented through a royal decree approved by the Spanish executive branch, which does not require ratification by Congress. This effectively shields the decision from any doubts that might arise from groups within the plurinational majority. It's worth noting that this measure was initially promoted through a popular legislative initiative (ILP) and was stalled in Congress. The agreement is the result of months of negotiations between Podemos and the Spanish government, representing a step forward in the strained relationship between Irene Montero's party and Pedro Sánchez. "It is an urgent measure of social justice that recognizes the rights of hundreds of thousands of people who live and work" in Spain, Podemos sources argue. "Until now, they have been denied basic rights due to an exercise in institutional racism that only fuels exploitation and racist hatred," they stated.

Podemos' message is that, in light of events like those at the B9 detention center in Badalona, ​​Torre Pacheco, or the ICE raids in the United States (including two murders), it is necessary to regularize the situation of people of migrant origin already in Spain. "Spain has demonstrated in the past that regularization is possible and effective in bringing work into the formal economy, reducing the underground economy, and improving social cohesion. No more excuses; it only depends on political will," the same sources conclude. Sumar has also welcomed the news: "It is necessary."

With this initiative, the PSOE is drawing closer to the parties to its left and directly confronting Vox, which was quick to speak out against it. In a message to X, the far-right leader, Santiago Abascal, vehemently opposed the measure, arguing that it demonstrates that "Sánchez hates the Spanish people" and "wants to replace them" by promoting a supposed "pull factor" to "accelerate the invasion." Alberto Núñez Feijóo echoed this sentiment. The Popular Party president opined that it is an attempt to "divert attention" from the railway crisis and criticized the fact that "illegality is being rewarded."

Details of the measure

Pending the Spanish government's decree confirming the guidelines announced by Podemos, the measure will apply to individuals who were in Spain before December 31st, without a "relevant criminal record," and who have been residing in the country for at least five months from the date of application. To prove residency, not only will registration with the local municipality be accepted, but also medical reports, certificates of assistance from social services, a rental agreement, utility bills, and transportation tickets, among other documents. According to Podemos, upon submission of the regularization application, any pending deportation proceedings for administrative reasons or for working without a permit will be suspended. Once the application is accepted, provisional residency will be granted, allowing the applicant to work "legally and access other fundamental rights, such as healthcare." After a favorable administrative decision, residency will be granted for one year, after which the applicant can apply for standard authorization in accordance with immigration regulations, sources from the Podemos party say. The last regularization process in Spain dates back two decades. In 2005, the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero implemented a mechanism to regularize the status of more than 570,000 people, taking advantage of the reform of the immigration law, which introduced the social integration route for obtaining residency. Both the PSOE and the PP, all presidents except Mariano Rajoy, have used this extraordinary process to try to reduce the large number of undocumented immigrants. The first to use this mechanism was Felipe González, who opened two processes (1985 and 1991), while José María Aznar opened three (1996, 2000, and 2001). In total, more than one and a half million people have been able to obtain residency permits through these mechanisms.