Endless queues for regularization papers: "I will be able to contribute and have rights"

BarcelonaLess than 24 hours after the Council of Ministers approved the royal decree that will serve to regularize the situation of more than half a million immigrants throughout the State, long queues have returned to the center of Barcelona to get all the documentation to carry out the procedures. One of the points where a significant number of people have gathered is the Citizen Services Office of Barcelona in Plaça Sant Miquel, next to the cathedral. This Wednesday morning the queue to access this service goes around the building and the complaint that "things are not moving forward" is repeated. Most have been waiting for three hours. Although there are citizens waiting to carry out all kinds of procedures, there are also many people who come to do paperwork to be able to access the regularization process, which begins this Thursday, April 16, telematically.

One of the people who has been waiting for a while is Yamellis. She is from Venezuela, she is 67 years old and has lived in Catalonia for two years. "I came because my daughter lives here and I stayed," she explains to el ARA. In her case, she needs to update her residency registration to be able to provide the documentation to regularize her status. Like her, five more people from her family want to access this procedure. "It is a good measure, because that way we will have the papers, we will have the same benefits and young people who want to work here will be able to do so. Their doors will no longer be closed.

A few meters away, in the same queue, Manuel is waiting. He is from Peru and arrived in Catalonia in 2024 "as a tourist", but he also decided to stay. He is 45 years old and lives alone, earning a living by working as a cook "off the books". "The decision is good news because it will allow one to achieve their potential. You can't always be working off the books and waiting. With this I will be able to contribute and have rights," he insists. Like Manuel, it is estimated that throughout the State there are half a million undocumented people who meet the requirements to access the residence permit, of whom about 150,000 live in Catalonia.

Among the dozens of people in the queue, there are those who are waiting for others. This is the case of Caterine, from Colombia, who has been in Plaça Sant Miquel for two hours for her two children, aged 7 and 13. She has a residence permit and arrived with her family in Barcelona four years ago, but they did not have papers. "I am very happy because there are procedures that I have not been able to do for my children and now I will be able to," she explains while the little ones are at school. As she has decided to do the procedure without an appointment, Caterine does not complain about the wait and only thinks about her children's excitement about "being able to travel" after four years without being able to leave the country.

Rolando is from Peru and, like Caterine, is also in the queue for a relative. He has been waiting for three hours for his cousin, who has just become a father and is looking after the baby while the queue advances slowly. They have been here for four years and both work as painters, but he does have the foreigner identification number, the NIE, and his cousin does not. "I am the only family he has here, that's why I'm queuing for him," he explains. The queue moves little by little, with interested parties in groups of 10, and Rolando says he will still wait a bit before telling his cousin to come, that he doesn't want to separate him from the newborn, but he says with a smile that he will collect the favor later.

Procedures until June 30

Starting this Thursday, applications for regularization can begin to be submitted. This measure will be available to asylum seekers who applied before January 1, 2026, or individuals who are in an irregular administrative situation and arrived in the country before that date. It will be necessary to have resided uninterruptedly in the Spanish state for at least five months from the time of application, have no criminal record, and, at the same time, not pose a "threat" to public order and security. Proof of residency is a document that certifies current residence in the state, but it is not mandatory.

Regularization can be applied for online, and at the same time, an appointment can be requested to complete the process in person; that is, to submit the application at offices of Social Security, Correos, or Immigration. It will be essential to request this appointment to be able to attend an office in person starting April 20. This procedure, which is mandatory to enter the process, can be done until June 30.