According to Migration Minister Elma Saiz, Spain will legalize up to 300,000 illegal migrants annually over the next three years under new rules announced on Tuesday aimed at addressing labor shortages and boosting the economy.
Spain to Regularize 900,000 Migrants Over Three Years
“Spain has to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed and poor one, and we chose the former,” Saiz said in announcing the changes. She added that the country needs “between 250,000 and 300,000 foreign workers per year to maintain its welfare state.”
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has previously promoted a policy of “circular migration” aimed at creating legal channels for economic migrants, which, according to him, the country urgently needs, since the aging of the population puts a strain on public finances.
The reforms will simplify visa requirements and paperwork, and in certain circumstances extend their validity. The period that an illegal migrant must live in Spain to qualify for a visa will also be reduced from three to two years.
“We want it to be easier for foreigners to find jobs that match their professional profile, and for companies to find the specialists they need,” Saiz told reporters.
She explained that the reforms could increase the legalization rate to 300,000 people per year over the next three years.
According to Saiz, by the end of 2023, 210,000 people have already received a residence permit in Spain under the residence permit program. According to her, about 3 million foreigners contribute almost 14% of the contributions to the Spanish social security system. Among other changes, student visas will also become more flexible and allow you to work up to 30 hours a week.
According to official data, about 25,000 migrants illegally arrived in Spain in the first six months of this year, which is twice as many as were registered in the same period last year. More than 19,000 of them have made a sea voyage from northwest Africa to the Canary Islands. In response, the Lanzarote government declared a social emergency, saying it could not cope with the influx of immigrants. The situation has prompted Spain’s main opposition party, the right-wing Popular Party, to call on the government to send a navy to block the influx of immigrants.
An October poll conducted by El Pais newspaper and Cadena Ser radio station showed that 57% of Spaniards believe that there is “too much immigration” in the country, while 75% hold a negative opinion about migrants.
Spain’s recent immigration moves are in stark contrast to the trend in Europe, where governments have imposed additional restrictions on migrants and tightened border controls. In recent months, Germany and the Netherlands have expanded checks at their land borders, France has promised to “clean up” its own entry points, while Sweden and Finland have promised to introduce stricter immigration laws.