Spain is preparing to grant legal residency to over 500,000 undocumented migrants, a move that reflects a growing divergence in European immigration policies and aims to address labor shortages within the country.
Spain’s government plans to regularize the status of at least 500,000 undocumented migrants, a move officials say will benefit both the migrants themselves and the Spanish economy, according to BBC News.
Applications will open in April and remain open through the end of June. To qualify, migrants must demonstrate they have been residing in the country for at least five months and have no criminal record.
Diana, originally from Peru, has been living in Spain without legal status for two years. She explained that her lack of residency permits leaves her vulnerable to exploitation by employers.
“Working without documentation is difficult due to the fact that employers can say one thing and then produce you do something else,” she told the BBC.
“Sometimes they pay you less than what you agreed upon, so it makes things tough.”
The government has justified the plan citing both humanitarian concerns and economic needs. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has described immigrants as people who have “built the country’s progress alongside us.”
