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Date Published: 27/01/2026

Podemos and PSOE sign deal to regularise status for 500,000 migrants in Spain

The Royal Decree will grant legal status to people able to prove five months’ residence in the country, up to the end of 2025

The Spanish government is preparing to launch an extraordinary regularisation process for migrants after far-left party Podemos announced it had reached an agreement with the main coalition partner, the PSOE socialist party, to move the measure forward.

As affirmed by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, the Council of Ministers has approved the Royal Decree this Tuesday January 27 to allow people who can prove at least five months of residence in Spain to apply for legal status, which will let them work, access healthcare, get a NIE and enjoy other benefits open to Spanish residents.

The ministry says the aim is to guarantee rights and bring legal certainty to what it describes as “an existing social reality”. The regularisation process will be open for applications from April to June 2026.

The announcement was made by Podemos political secretary and MEP Irene Montero, who said the agreement paves the way for granting papers to hundreds of thousands of people currently living and working in Spain without legal status, and so are unable to access basic services.

“Rights are not up for debate,” she said. “People who are already living in Spain without papers are living in conditions of slavery, and we cannot allow that.”

She continued, “You only have to look at who opposes regularisation to know that this is the measure our country needs. More rights for the working class, fewer opportunities to exploit people.”

Podemos has stressed that the regularisation will be carried out by Royal Decree, meaning it will not need to go through Parliament or secure the backing of a parliamentary majority.

Pros and cons of regularising migrants’ situation in Spain

From Podemos’ point of view, the agreement is the result of sustained pressure from social organisations and grassroots mobilisation. The party describes the move as an urgent act of social justice, arguing that many migrants have been denied basic rights despite contributing to society, a situation it says has fuelled exploitation and racist attitudes.

The Ministry of Migration, headed by Elma Saiz, has framed the measure as the culmination of a broader political and social consensus. Ministry sources say the initiative takes up the mandate of a popular legislative initiative supported by more than 700,000 signatures, which had already received overwhelming backing in Parliament, with 310 votes in favour and just 33 against. They argue the Royal Decree will unblock a response that has been stalled for months.

The police union, JUPOL, has warned that the measure could have unintended consequences that could actually worsen the plight of migrants crossing into Spain.

“This will create a ‘pull factor’ that will cause thousands of people to risk their lives in the hands of mafias,” they said, referring to the unscrupulous criminals who charge large sums to transport people from Africa to Spain and Europe in dangerous crossing journeys.

This is not the first time Spain has greenlit the mass regularisation of undocumented migrants to the country. In May 2025, they relaxed the entry rules for hundreds of thousands of people living in Spain without papers. This attitude and these policies place Spain squarely at odds with the majority of European countries, most of whom currently maintain a cool relationship with illegal migrants predicated on hate and fear rather than humanity and compassion.

Part of the reason that Spain has the fastest growing and healthiest economy in the European Union is its willingness to accept and grant licences to young people of working age who can fill gaps in the workforce, as well as pay tax and social security contributions to pay for pensions in what is a rapidly ageing population.

How the regularisation scheme will work

Under the scheme, those eligible will need to prove they were in Spain before December 31, 2025, have no relevant criminal record and be able to show at least five months of continuous residence at the time of applying. Podemos says this requirement can be met using documents such as registration on the padrón, medical appointment records, certificates from social services or paperwork including rental contracts, money transfer receipts or transport tickets.

Once an application is submitted, any return procedures or expulsion orders linked to administrative issues or working without a permit will be suspended. If the application is accepted for processing, the applicant will receive a temporary residence permit, allowing them to work legally and access basic rights such as healthcare.

If the final decision is favourable, a one-year residence permit would be granted. At the end of that period, migrants will be able to apply for an ordinary residence permit under existing immigration rules.

For the Ministry of Migration, the move reinforces Spain’s commitment to a migration policy based on human rights, integration and coexistence, which it says is compatible with economic growth and social cohesion.

If you believe you may be able to benefit by this new Royal Decree law and you require help with this or any other residency matter in Spain, you can contact Heniam & Associates experts for expats, who specialise in all forms of legal paperwork and administrative processes for foreigners in Spain.

Image 1: Podemos

Image 2: joasouza

Image 3: Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones

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