The Spanish government has adopted regulations to legalise the residence of about 500 000 illegal immigrants. The Madrid authorities stress that the decision is to be based on human rights and to advance economical development. However, any media and experts inform against negative effects.
The ABC diary estimates that fresh regulations can encourage illegal border crossings. The paper indicates that specified a signal favours the activities of criminal groups dealing with trafficking in human beings. A popular migration way to Spain leads across the sea and is very dangerous. Migrants frequently effort to defeat him with primitive boats.
Experts quoted by the "ABC" point out that social media already has messages that encourage travel to Spain. In their opinion, this could increase the number of attempts at illegal entry. "It is impossible to favour those who do not comply with the law, due to the fact that it sends a terrible signal," 1 of the interviewors of the paper emphasizes.
However, data from Caminando Fronteras show that in 2025 the number of deaths on the confederate migration way decreased by 70%. A year earlier, more than 10,000 people had died there.
The ‘ABC’ besides points out that the actual scale of legalisation may be much higher. As a consequence of household reunification, the fresh government can cover up to 2 million immigrants, not just half a million declared by the government.
That's not the first decision in Spain. The largest legalization was carried out in 2005 under Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. It included more than 575 000 people. The current government is the first specified solution in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's reign.
According to the Funcas survey centre study in 2025, about 840 1000 people were residing in Spain without regulated position and without access to basic services.
