Truths and lies about the regularization process for half a million migrants

The process that the Spanish government has put in place regularize the status of migrants living in Spain irregularly. This has led to a flood of claims, often false, circulating on social media. These claims are often fueled by... influencers Originating from the far-right sphere, these claims aim to create public opinion against regularization, asserting that migrants who benefit will place more pressure on social services, or that the entire process is designed to electorally benefit the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). This confusion has flooded social media with truths, lies, and often statements that are neither entirely true nor entirely false. This is a review of many of the questions left unanswered by the process, in a socially and politically complex matter.

Can all undocumented immigrants apply for regularization?

No. To be able to apply for regularization, it is necessary to meet three requirements: to have arrived in Spain before December 31, 2025, to demonstrate that, prior to that date, one had resided in the country for at least five months, and to have no criminal record.

What happens to those who have been granted legal status but have open deportation proceedings?

Once they apply for regularization, migrants affected by a deportation order will see it lifted. Those who benefit include people with a deportation order for working without a permit, for example.

Can those who have been legalized start working immediately or must they wait until their case is resolved?

The administration has three months to resolve each case, but the acceptance of the request already grants the right to work and access healthcare.

If the outcome of the request is favorable to the migrant, can he then stay permanently?

No. A favorable result grants the right to a provisional authorization, which allows legal residence in Spain for one year. After that time, the person concerned can apply for a new authorization, in this case a standard one, regulated by current immigration regulations.

What happens to the children of the applicants?

The descendants of the people who request regularization will obtain a residence permit which, in this case, will be for five years.

Will those who have regularized their immigration status be able to vote in the next elections?

One of the most repeated lies these days by various voices on the far right is the claim that the process is being carried out to favor Pedro Sánchez's electoral prospects. The far-right agitator Vito Quiles speaks of fraud, but he is not alone: ​​the Vox sphere also denounces this alleged electoral manipulation, a theory that the People's Party (PP) has ultimately embraced. Alvise Pérez has gone so far as to define the process as an "unconstitutional coup d'état to affect the sovereign electoral body of our country," and has called for street protests and for the opposition to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court.

However, the truth is that obtaining a residence permit does not equate to obtaining citizenship, the necessary requirement to vote. Migrants born in Andorra, Latin America, the Philippines, Portugal, and Equatorial Guinea can apply for citizenship, but they will have to wait at least two years. This means that, in the best-case scenario and if the bureaucratic process is quick, they will be able to vote from 2028 onwards, after the municipal and general elections (both scheduled for 2027). For everyone else, the conditions will be stricter: as a general rule, a person not born in Spain must reside in the country for ten years to apply for citizenship, or five years if they have been granted refugee status.

Once their situation is regularized, will they be able to access social assistance?

To be eligible for most social benefits, such as guaranteed minimum income, you must demonstrate a minimum of one or two years of residency in the country. Therefore, having legal status does not automatically and immediately entitle you to receive certain benefits.

Will people with criminal records be able to benefit?

The regulation states that people with criminal records are ineligible for the regularization process. This has led many on social media to denounce the fact that people with police records (even those without a criminal record, despite having no court conviction) will be granted regularization, even if they have police records (even those with records opened by the police for non-criminal acts). In reality, the regulation states that individuals with criminal records will be automatically disqualified, while those with police records will have their applications reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be accepted or rejected.

Is this the first time a mass regularization has been carried out?

No. All Spanish governments, both PSOE and PP, have carried out mass regularizations of migrants.

Do regulations like this one create a pull factor?

This is a question impossible to answer definitively, because migration flows to all of Europe have continued to increase steadily. This increase has occurred regardless of whether or not there have been mass legalizations. Based on the available data, it cannot be said that there is a pull factor; there is no evidence to support this, given that irregular entries have been increasing independently of each country's policies.