Spain’s Mass Immigration Amnesty Program Faces Major Challenges Before Launch

Spain's upcoming immigration amnesty program, set to legalize at least 500,000 undocumented migrants, is creating significant strain on government offices and anxiety among applicants. The program, scheduled to run from April through June, lacks adequate funding and staffing while immigration offices are already overwhelmed with backlogs.

Spain’s ambitious plan to provide legal status to at least 500,000 undocumented immigrants is creating overwhelming pressure on government agencies and causing widespread concern among potential applicants, even before the program officially launches, according to union representatives, attorneys, and migrants interviewed by Reuters.

The mass legalization initiative, announced by Spanish officials last month, could face serious obstacles due to insufficient information and government funding, warn two individuals familiar with the program. This latest effort continues Spain’s welcoming immigration approach that economists say has fueled the country’s recent economic growth.

While Spanish authorities have indicated the program will operate from early April through June, they have released minimal details about how people can apply or what paperwork will be needed. The migration ministry’s website stated in January that no extra budget or personnel had been allocated to handle the anticipated flood of applications.

This uncertainty has created stress for both the immigrants hoping to gain legal status and the government workers at immigration facilities already dealing with months of accumulated cases.

“Our offices are completely jammed. If there are no more people, if there is no technological reinforcement, without more money, this is impossible,” said César Pérez, a union leader for Spain’s immigration officers.

Pérez informed Reuters that most of his fellow workers are still processing legal status requests that were filed in June 2025.

Spanish officials released a preliminary outline of the program last month. A confidential draft of the complete decree, dated February 18th and obtained by Reuters, indicated that “a specific, preferential and differentiated procedure” would be created for the legalization period but offered no specifics.

Spain’s ministries of Inclusion, Interior and Territorial Policy did not respond to detailed inquiries from Reuters. A representative from the ministry overseeing migration stated that the final decree remains under development.

‘CHAOS AT LAUNCH’

While other European nations are restricting their borders, Spain’s Socialist administration continues to support immigration, which economic experts say accounts for much of the nation’s rapid economic expansion over the past four years.

Earlier administrations, including conservative-led governments, have implemented several mass amnesty programs in recent decades. The most extensive occurred in 2005, when 570,000 individuals who could demonstrate formal employment contracts received legal status.

There’s a compelling reason for legalization: Spain requires approximately 2.4 million additional people contributing to social security over the coming decade to maintain its welfare system, based on government projections.

However, conflicts with smaller political parties have destroyed the current government’s majority in parliament’s lower chamber. The resulting political gridlock has blocked legislators from approving a budget since 2023 — limiting the government’s capacity to implement its new immigration agenda.

The absence of additional government funding for the 2026 program would represent a significant change from earlier mass legalizations. In 2005, 1,700 workers were brought on and 742 new information centers were created to support the existing system, according to research by scholar Claudia Finotelli.

To address this year’s anticipated shortfall, the government is exploring the possibility of enlisting non-profit organizations and labor unions to assist with processing applications, according to four sources knowledgeable about the situation.

Another possibility being discussed involves extending immigration offices’ operating hours, according to Perez, the union representative.

However, neither solution has been officially implemented, leaving administrators skeptical about whether the program will begin as scheduled.

“The government is optimistic, but coordinating everyone will not be easy. We can expect chaos at launch,” said a person involved in the migration ministry’s discussions.

DESPERATE MIGRANTS IN LIMBO

Immigrants have also been left in uncertainty.

They are lining up at immigration facilities seeking information about the program that staff members cannot yet provide, according to police and civil service unions.

Spanish officials have stated that immigrants with clean criminal backgrounds who have lived in Spain for five consecutive months or filed asylum claims before the end of 2025 may be eligible. However, they have not clarified what documentation will serve as acceptable evidence.

“It’s still not clear what requirements we’ll have to meet. I’m afraid they will ask for something I can’t provide,” said Iris Rocha, a 37-year-old Peruvian mother of two. She spoke to Reuters following a presentation by a local immigration-focused nonprofit organization in Barcelona, often the only resource available to migrants seeking more information.

Rocha, who stated she escaped Peru with her daughters in 2023 following life-threatening domestic violence, lost her temporary work authorization last year after her asylum request was rejected.

She explained that she requires legal documentation to find employment again.

“I would get my life back. Until then I have to survive,” Rocha said.

Spain’s immigration minister Elma Saiz informed reporters in January that applicants could work legally once they receive notification that their application is under review, which she said would occur within 15 days of submitting required documents.

Specialists remain doubtful, citing persistent delays in the immigration system. Spanish research institution Funcas reports that migrants currently spend an average of two to three years trying to obtain legal status, with roughly 840,000 undocumented immigrants working illegally while navigating the process.

“People become undocumented not because they don’t want to register, but because they can’t,” said Gabriela Domingo, a lawyer at migration consultancy Legalizados.

Some worried migrants are already paying middlemen to reserve April appointments at immigration offices, according to three attorneys.

This practice violates the law, and the government admitted in November 2025 that it resulted from a lack of available appointment times.

“People are selling appointments even though the start date is only a rumour, which shows the fear this process has instilled in migrants,” said Pilar Rodriguez, a lawyer for migrants advocacy organisation Aculco.