Spain’s mass regularisation for 500,000 undocumented migrants is not extreme, unprecedented or opportunistic

As governments around the world tighten migration controls, Spain has taken a strikingly different path. In January 2026, the Spanish cabinet approved a decree opening a pathway to legal residency for hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants who already live in the country. At a time when deportations, detentions and exclusion dominate migration debates elsewhere, Spain has chosen regularisation.

The measure allows migrants without legal status to apply for temporary residence permits, bringing them out of administrative invisibility. The contrast with other countries is sharp.…

© La Conversation - mardi 3 février 2026