Government regularizes half a million immigrants

The system will thus add half a million people who will pay contributions and fully integrate

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, celebrated that the government will approve on Tuesday an extraordinary regularization of migrants, granting residence and work permits to roughly half a million people. He framed the measure as both an act of justice and a necessity for Spain.

“It is, first and foremost, an act of normalization,” Sánchez wrote in a letter to citizens, recognizing the reality of almost half a million individuals who already form part of everyday Spanish life and help build a “rich, open and diverse Spain.”

He added that the regularization is also a act of justice toward Spain’s migratory past and a need for the country, which, like other European nations, is aging. Without new workers contributing to the system, “prosperity stalls, the capacity to innovate weakens, and public services suffer.”

Sánchez highlighted the economic impact of migrants, noting that Spain’s economy is currently the fastest‑growing in Europe, creating the most job opportunities for both newcomers and native‑born Spaniards. The influx of new contributors is seen as essential to sustain this momentum.