Spain opens the floodgates for the regularization of migrants

Tuesday 19th November 2024 02:43 PM

border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla with Morocco. Credit: Shutterstock

The Spanish government approved on Tuesday a reform of the law on foreigners to simplify the regularization of migrants in an irregular situation in Spain.

This measure could benefit 900,000 people over the next three years, or 300,000 migrants per year, underlined the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, during a press conference at the outcome of the Council of Ministers.

“The objective is to strengthen and broaden the avenues of access to regularization for migrants who are in Spain, so that they can lead a fully citizen life: have rights and duties,” Elma Saiz explained.

“With the new features we have incorporated, we estimate that around 300,000 people could be regularized each year over the next 3 years,” said Saiz, recalling that in 2023 the situation of 210,000 people will be regularized.

According to the minister, “There are 2.9 million foreigners who contribute monthly to Social Security, they represent 13.6% of the total number of affiliates, two points more than two years ago”.

The government official indicated that this reform is “the most ambitious and complete” since the law was passed 13 years ago. Among the main measures announced, she mentioned the reduction in the length of stay required to access rooting devices, from 3 to 2 years.

“Spain must choose between being an open and prosperous country or being a closed and poor country,” added the head of Migration.

Saiz further clarified that all visas will now have an initial duration of one year. In addition, specific protections will be introduced for seasonal migrant workers and conditions for family reunification will be relaxed.

The current regulation dates from 2011 and, since then, several modifications have been made, the last in 2022, in order, among other things, to create the“rooting for training”which allows those who have lived in Spain for two years to regularize their situation if they are training in a profession sought by the labor market.