Spain's extraordinary regularization plan for undocumented migrants concludes application period

Applicants had until Tuesday evening to submit the required documents. The authorities have three months to process these applications and decide whether to grant a residence and work permit, valid only within Spain. The executive initially estimated that the procedure would benefit "nearly half a million people," predominantly Latin American migrants already residing in Spain.

Juana Hernandez, a 59-year-old Cuban living in Madrid, expressed her satisfaction after receiving notification that her application was admissible. She arrived in Spain two and a half years ago and paid approximately 200 euros for legal assistance with the administrative steps, also receiving help from a migrant aid association. A government source indicated that as of a few days prior, about 360,000 of the 900,000 submitted applications had been deemed "admissible."

To qualify, individuals needed to prove at least five months of presence in Spain by January 1st and have no criminal record. Mohamed, a 23-year-old Moroccan living illegally in Spain for about four years in Cantabria, described the administrative process as "relatively easy." He hopes to be regularized to work legally, contribute, and avoid exploitation by unscrupulous employers.

Pedro Sánchez has championed this plan as a