Spain closes mass migrant regularisation scheme as 1.27 million apply
Spain is set to end its mass migrant regularisation scheme on June 30, with non-governmental organisations urging applicants to submit forms even if documentation is incomplete. Authorities received 1.27 million applications by June 27, far exceeding the government’s estimate of 500,000. Rights groups warn that at least 20% of applications could be rejected due to missing documents, while Spain’s migration ministry says it does not plan to extend the deadline.
On June 30, Spain will conclude a special mass regularisation campaign for undocumented migrants. Ahead of the deadline, non-governmental organisations are urging foreigners to submit applications even with incomplete documentation in order not to miss the chance to obtain a one-year residence permit.
According to the union of Spain’s immigration service workers, authorities had received 1.27 million applications as of June 27, nearly 2.5 times more than the government had expected. The initial estimate was 500,000 applications.
Human rights organisations CEAR and Cepaim recommend that migrants submit their applications before the end of the campaign, even if they have not yet obtained all required documents. After submission, applicants will be given additional time to complete missing documentation.
At present, the main difficulties are faced by citizens of Iran, Mali, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Algeria, who are experiencing delays in obtaining or legalising documents at consulates.
Due to recent changes in Spain’s migration policy, Venezuelans have been the most affected. Some migrants were transferred to a new migration procedure, which significantly reduced the time available for preparing documents.
Despite calls from human rights groups, Spain’s Ministry of Migration has stated it does not plan to extend the application deadline.
According to non-governmental organisations, at least 20% of roughly 1 million applications may be rejected due to missing documents and the limited flexibility of the administrative system. Additional difficulties in recent days have also been caused by technical issues with the online application platform.
In Spain, official estimates suggest that around 840,000 people are working without legal status. The standard process for obtaining legal residency usually takes more than one year.
Human rights organisations stress that the country needs a permanent regularisation mechanism, as many migrants currently remain in an irregular status for at least two years before being able to obtain legal residency rights.