Spain's decision to regularise half a million undocumented migrants has been met with both political opposition and personal relief. The conservative People's party (PP) leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called it a reward for 'illegality', while far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal described it as an 'invasion'. However, for many migrants, the announcement offers hope for a better future.
A Bangladeshi man in Madrid, who came to Spain 14 months ago, said: 'I don't have my papers so I can't get a proper job. It's like a gift from God that will help keep me going.' He currently earns between €200 and €400 a month selling umbrellas, and cannot access public housing or healthcare.
Mohammed Elahi Alam Alam, president of the Valiente Bangla Association, welcomed the decision as long overdue recognition of reality. He argued that immigrants are essential to Spain's economy, working in fields, restaurants, and caring for families. The regularisation is also seen as a counter to Vox's stated intention of deporting 8 million people of foreign origin.
Rosa, a Colombian woman who works informally as a cleaner, said many undocumented workers are badly paid and mistreated. She hopes the regularisation will allow her to earn more than €120 a week and access legal protections. Research on a similar 2005 regularisation showed tax revenues increased by about €4,000 per regularised immigrant per year, with no significant 'pull effect' on further arrivals.
The decree is not unprecedented in Spain; similar programmes were enacted between 1986 and 2005 by both PP and socialist governments. Labour economist Joan Monràs noted that career paths of regularised immigrants improved significantly, with domestic workers often moving to higher-paying jobs within six months.
