Spain's first regularization process since 2005 has drawn over 1.17 million applications from undocumented migrants, challenging the broader European trend of tightening immigration controls. The initiative, running from April to June 2024, aims to integrate long-term irregular residents.

Badr Tmairi, a 22-year-old Moroccan, has lived in Spain without legal status for six years. Arriving alone at 16, he briefly held residency but lost it. “I want to get my papers back to work as a hairdresser and visit my family in Morocco,” he said. He has been homeless for a year.

Edith Espinola, president of SEDOAC and spokesperson for the Regularizacion Ya collective, stated: “The huge number of applications proves the state has failed to protect the most vulnerable.” She emphasized that living without status condemns people to social exclusion.

Rocio Neciosupe, a 54-year-old Peruvian cleaner, has been undocumented for two years. After a fall at work, she cannot take sick leave due to lack of documents. “Regularization isn’t a handout; I want to work without fear and with rights,” she said. Her family's applications are being processed.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that without migration, Spain's GDP could drop 19% by 2050, with 90,000 bars and 50,000 classrooms closing. Experts like Gonzalo Fanjul note that regularization is just the beginning, and the underlying issues of labor mobility remain unresolved.

Source: www.aljazeera.com