Spain legalizes residency of over 500,000 illegal immigrants in the country

Spain finalized a highly controversial move to legalize over 500,000 illegal immigrants in the country, despite stiff opposition.

The Spanish Council of Ministers approved the measure, granting legal status to over half a million illegal immigrants in a country of under 50 million. The effort was pushed for months by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing coalition government and represents the most sweeping amnesty enacted by a European Union country. Anyone who resided in the country for more than five months prior to Jan. 1, 2026, and doesn’t have a criminal record, is eligible.