Spain is moving towards regularizing the status of half a million undocumented immigrants. The Spanish Parliament has given the green light to study a popular legislative initiative calling for the regularization of around half a million migrants living in the country without residence permits to secure their rights.
This initiative, launched in 2021 by a group of undocumented immigrants through the platform “Regularization Now,” reached the Senate after gathering 600,000 signatures, with support from a wide range of non-governmental organizations and associations assisting migrants.
Behind the scenes of this regularization effort, Jorge Serrano Paradinas, coordinator of the “Popular Legislative Initiative for Unusual Regulation of Foreigners in Spain,” states that the goal of gathering these signatures was to “compel the Parliament and deputies to discuss and vote on the proposal.”
Paradinas further explains that the legislative initiative was presented to the Parliament’s management committee on April 6 and was considered by the House of Representatives, where it received approval from 310 deputies. This is a highly significant milestone, as such a majority has not been achieved in parliament for decades.
Following this vote in the Parliament’s Immigration Committee, political parties are now required to discuss the proposal and any amendments to determine its implementation.
Civil society associations have managed to persuade Spanish political parties, particularly the governing party, the Socialist Party, and the People’s Party, along with all other political parties, except for the far-right Vox party, to support this step.
The path for the proposal is expected to be slow and winding, but it will at least open a discussion about the status of 500,000 migrants in Spain living in irregular conditions.
Paradinas sees this popular initiative as “necessary” because this group of migrants lives in “somewhat undignified conditions,” facing exploitation in the labor market. He highlights that over 80% of these individuals work in a sector where labor standards are not enforced, as they are irregular migrants not subject to any labor regulations.
Furthermore, they may work longer hours than legally allowed, earn lower wages than the minimum professional wage, not receive compensation for holidays, lack protection against dismissal, and do not contribute to social security, thus not qualifying for retirement benefits. They also face significant difficulties in accessing basic services such as education, healthcare, and social benefits.
Paradinas emphasizes that this is primarily a matter of dignity but also a beneficial initiative for the Spanish state as a whole.
The terms required for exceptional regularization operations, which have been previously implemented on three bases, include migrants being present in Spain for more than six months, having no criminal record, and having a stable job offer.
Paradinas views this initiative positively, stating that these migrants “reap the fruits we eat, take care of our children and grandparents, work in our restaurants, and build our homes,” playing an essential role, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were the ones delivering groceries to our homes when we were isolated.
If this measure progresses, it will “include all nationalities equally,” according to a communication officer at the “Alliance for Solidarity” association. The agreement is expected to benefit around 100 nationalities, especially undocumented migrants from Latin America, Morocco, and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a significant percentage from countries like Pakistan and the Middle East.
The Spanish Parliament is expected to continue discussing the initiative until May 9, allowing parliamentary groups to submit amendments to the legislative text.