Madrid: The proposal was confirmed on Tuesday by Elma Saiz, Spain’s government spokesperson and Minister of Social Security, who said the measure is designed to integrate undocumented migrants into the formal workforce and broader society.

Under the plan, migrants who have lived in Spain for at least five months and arrived before December 31, 2025, would be eligible to obtain legal residency. Once regularised, they would be permitted to work in any sector and in any part of the country.

Saiz said the initiative would provide a significant economic boost by allowing hundreds of thousands of people who are already contributing informally to do so legally, while also improving labour protections and social security coverage.

Spain, like several European nations bordering the Mediterranean, continues to face an influx of irregular migrants, many arriving from Africa. While migration debates often remain abstract for much of the public, the government said the scale of the issue demands concrete action.

The regularisation process will be formally launched through a Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers. Officials stressed that the measure is not intended to encourage new arrivals, but rather to address the situation of migrants who are already embedded in Spanish society.

The decision follows months of political deadlock and comes after an agreement between the ruling PSOE and its ally Podemos, reviving a proposal that had previously stalled despite broad parliamentary support.