The Spanish Government has received around 900,000 applications from undocumented migrants requesting regularization within the framework of a program that initially provided for half a million applications, as reported on Monday by the Ministry of Migration.
The measure, aimed in part at integrating undocumented migrants into the formal labor market, is seeing strong demand in a country that has remained open to immigration even as other European nations close their borders.
The non-profit organization for Refugee Assistance, Cearexpects applications to surpass one million when the program ends in two weeks.
Spain’s economic growth has far outpaced that of most of its European counterparts in the past two years, driven in part by migrants, who have boosted key sectors such as hospitality and aged care by filling labor shortages and increasing Social Security contributions.
Spain has granted 360,000 temporary work permits since April, representing around 40% of all applications received, the ministry added. People are allowed to start working as soon as their applications are accepted for processing.
Pilar CancelaSecretary of State for Migration, told Reuters that the State has the capacity to process up to one million applications between April and June, pointing out that the applications would exceed the number of permits granted.
Spain has long suffered from chronic delays in its immigration system, with thousands of migrants from Colombia or Senegal waiting years to obtain asylum, which is denied in more than 90% of cases.
These strict policies have left some 840,000 undocumented migrants waiting for years to obtain other forms of residency, while living in the country and working in the underground economy as they go through the process, according to the think tank Funcas.
“This is an extraordinary program, but there should be a structural measure that would facilitate access to work and residence permits, in order to avoid the creation of groups of people who live on the margins of society,” said the director of the Cear, Monica Lopezin a press conference held on Monday.
