Spain plans to legalize the residency status of approximately 300,000 undocumented migrants per year until 2027 as part of a strategy to bolster economic growth, Reuters reported on November 19. With 600,000 undocumented migrants, Spain has one of the highest rates in the European Union.  

Migration Minister Elma Saiz announced that the initiative aims to strengthen Spain’s labor force and address the challenges of an aging population. To maintain the country’s welfare system, Saiz emphasized the need for 250,000 to 300,000 tax-paying foreign workers annually.  

The new policy includes simplifying legal and administrative processes for obtaining work and residence permits. Migrants will have the option to register as either self-employed or salaried workers, granting them additional labor protections.

The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), a network of organizations advancing the rights of undocumented migrants, welcomed the news.

"Regularization is a life-changing event. Once regularized, a person can work with a regular contract and go to the doctor when they are sick. They can go for a coffee or do something as ordinary as taking the bus without worrying it could lead to a life-changing confrontation with law enforcement. They can stand up for themself and others when someone tries to abuse or exploit them, without fearing it will lead to detention and deportation," Laetitia van der Vennet, Senior Advocacy Officer in charge of regularization policies for PICUM, told InfoMigrants in an email.

"Living and growing up undocumented means living under stress and uncertainty; with a secure residence permit, people are able to breathe again, plan their lives and build their future," van der Vennet added.

According to government estimates, there are approximately, 600,000 people are undocumented immigrants in Spain, one of the highest rates in the European Union. 

Spain: outlier among European neighbors

The announcement comes on the commitment of Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to effectively manage migration and employ it as an economic strategy.

Spain has emerged as an outlier among its European neighbors who are bent on managing migration by closing its borders and tightening border controls.

Additionally, unlike some European countries who expressed their approval when Italy started sending the first batch of asylum seekers to reception centers in Albania in October, Sanchez said that he is against outsourcing the processing of asylum applications outside the EU.

Spain: economic growth propelled by migrants

Spain has emerged as the fastest-growing economy in the EU. Data from the Spanish statistical office reveals that the county's GDP overall growth in 2023 was roughly 2 percent, outpacing the growth in the Eurozone which lagged behind at about 0.7 percent.

Digitalization as well as growth in investments and private consumption were cited as factors behind the country's robust economic performance, with immigrant labor also seen as a major contributing factor.

Propelled by a shared language and culture, a wave of skilled immigrants from Latin America has closed labor gaps in the technology and hospitality sectors. An estimated 39 percent of new Spanish citizens were born in Latin America.

According to data, the foreign-born population in Spain now accounts for 18 percent, while the average in the EU is 13 percent.

While immigrant labor traditionally filled low-wage blue-collar jobs like construction and domestic work, job growth for migrants is now seen in other industries such as technology and science.