Good news for thousands of Moroccan migrants in Spain

Spain is preparing to take a historic step in its migration policy. The Spanish government, led by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and Sumar, has tabled a proposal to regularize the situation of nearly 700,000 irregular migrants.

This measure, if adopted, would concern people who arrived before the end of 2023. A clear advance compared to previous regularizations, which only took into account those who arrived before November 2021.

An unprecedented reform

The number of people affected represents an increase of 200,000 compared to previous estimates. According to the daily La Gaceta, this would be the largest regularization in the history of modern Spain. For comparison, in 2021, the country had around 517,000 irregular migrants. In 2023, this figure rose to 686,000.

The proposal, which received unexpected support from the Popular Party, reached a decisive milestone when Congress removed the obstacles blocking its processing on September 24. This paves the way for possible adoption in the coming months.

Historical precedents

Since 1985, Spain has achieved six exceptional regularizations. Among the most notable, that of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in 2005, which enabled 576,000 migrants to obtain legal status. Felipe González, before him, had regularized 115,000 people. In these processes, approximately 15.5% of requests were rejected.

This new regularization could change the lives of thousands of migrants, offering them access to fundamental rights such as legal work, social protection and, potentially, Spanish nationality.

Challenges ahead

Regularizing 700,000 people will not be done without difficulty. The authorities will have to manage a massive influx of requests, with rigorous administrative checks. However, for many, it is an unexpected opportunity. Obtaining a residence permit could finally bring them out of the shadows and offer them stability after years of uncertainty.

If this initiative succeeds, it could redefine Spanish migration policy for decades to come.

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