Brussels Raises Alarm Over Spain’s Plan to Regularise 500,000 Undocumented Migrants

 

Brussels Raises Alarm Over Spain’s Plan to Regularise 500,000 Undocumented Migrants

 

Brussels Raises Alarm Over Spain’s Plan to Regularise 500,000 Undocumented Migrants

Feb 11, 2026

https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-02-10/es/brussels-raises-alarm-over-spains-plan-to-regularise-500000-undocumented-migrants/

 

The European Commission has asked the Spanish government for clarifications after Madrid confirmed it will grant residence permits to an estimated half-million people now living in the country without papers. In a note circulated to member-state representatives on 10 February, Commission officials warned that Spain’s Royal Decree—approved on 27 January but still in public-consultation phase—might have ‘significant secondary-movement effects’ if newly regularised migrants travel elsewhere in the Schengen Area.

 

Spanish Migration Minister Elma Saiz insists the initiative is “strictly national” and will boost tax revenue and social-security contributions while giving employers access to legal labour in construction, agriculture and elder-care. Applicants must prove they were already in Spain before 31 December 2025 and have no criminal record. Because the decree bypasses parliament, critics argue the Sánchez government is ignoring democratic scrutiny; the conservative Partido Popular and far-right Vox have both threatened to challenge the measure in the Constitutional Court.

 

In Brussels, several northern and central-European governments fear the move could create a pull-factor and increase irregular entries via Spain’s external borders in the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla. They have asked the Commission to study whether Madrid’s decision is compatible with EU rules on residence documentation and long-term mobility. MEPs will debate the issue in Strasbourg later this week, with liberals and greens largely supportive and the European People’s Party demanding an impact assessment.

 

Brussels Raises Alarm Over Spain’s Plan to Regularise 500,000 Undocumented Migrants

 

 

For anyone needing practical support with Spanish residence or Schengen travel arrangements, VisaHQ offers an end-to-end online service that can be invaluable during the forthcoming regularisation wave. Through its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the platform provides clear checklists, document pre-screening and appointment booking at Foreigners’ Offices, helping both individuals and HR teams stay compliant while the new rules take effect.

 

For multinational employers, the decree could be a game-changer. Regularisation will open access to Spain’s labour market and social services for hundreds of thousands of workers who already hold jobs in the informal economy. Legal status will also allow intra-company transfers under the EU ICT Directive—making it easier to redeploy staff around the bloc. Companies should, however, review compliance procedures, as newly regularised staff will need full payroll registration and tax withholding from April.

 

Immigration advisers expect a surge in demand for appointments at Spain’s Foreigners’ Offices once the application window opens, probably in early April. HR departments are urged to prepare employee documentation now—especially police-clearance certificates and proof of residence—to avoid the inevitable backlog.