SPAIN’S flagship migrant regularisation drive descended into chaos on day one with snaking queues, a crashed government website and widespread confusion over the rules.
Thousands of undocumented migrants lined up outside consulates across the country on Thursday morning after applications to the controversial legalisation scheme officially opened.
People living illegally in Spain now have until June 30 to apply to regularise their status, triggering a race against time to gather the paperwork needed to qualify.
Under the plan, applicants must prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months, entered the country before January 1, be over 18 and provide a passport or other ID – valid or expired.
They must also display a criminal record certificate, showing that no crimes have been committed in the past five years.
That final hurdle has proven particularly challenging, sparking long queues outside foreign consulates from Andalucia to Catalunya as migrants scramble to secure proof from their home countries.
While some authorities are processing requests relatively quickly – such as at the Moroccan consulate in Barcelona where certificates are being issued within two to four weeks – others have been slower to respond or unwilling to cooperate, especially when the applicant is living illegally.
If the document cannot be obtained, the application is frozen for up to three months while Spain’s justice ministry attempts to secure the record through diplomatic channels.
But that hold-up risks tipping applications past the June cut-off, leaving tens of thousands in limbo – or increasing the risk of migrants turning to fraudulent means.
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Confusion also reigned over the difference between a criminal and police record after it emerged that interaction with the police did not constitute immediate grounds for rejection of a migrant’s application.
“The existence of a police record will not, in itself and automatically, be grounds for refusing the permit,” was the exact wording published in the Official State Gazette on Wednesday.
Information in police files will instead be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the applicant ‘poses a threat to public order, public security or public health’.
The revelation prompted an angry response from Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, the leader of the conservative Partido Popular (PP) opposition.
In a post on X, he said: “A government that does not distinguish between criminal and police records should not be making decisions of this magnitude.
“I reiterate: a person with a police record cannot be regularised. There are no precedents in Europe.
“And, in the meantime, there are already voices warning that this situation could put the Schengen Area at risk.”
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A criminal record (‘antecedentes penales’) signifies a final court conviction, whereas a police record (‘antecedentes policiales’) can indicate an arrest or investigation.
The rollout was also marred by technical failures after the official application platform crashed for nearly two hours on Thursday.
Currently, applications can only be made online, with in-person assessments taking place from Monday.
Under the scheme, nearly a million undocumented migrants will be able to legalise their status.
While early estimates had suggested around half a million could benefit from the plan, new figures from think tank Funcas put the number of people living irregularly in Spain at closer to 840,000.
The scheme has sparked fierce debate at home and abroad, with prime minister Pedro Sanchez insisting the move will supercharge Spain’s economy.
Once legal, migrants will be able to hold a work permit, allowing them to work across the economy and not just in the black market.
Business leaders have welcomed the plan, arguing it will help to plug major labour shortages.
Sanchez has also hailed the measure as ‘an act of justice and a necessity’, adding that those who already live and work in Spain should ‘do so under equal conditions’ and contribute to general taxation.
But concerns are also rife over integration, while EU migration chief Magnus Brunner warned last week that migrants granted residency in Spain could be sent back if they move elsewhere in the bloc.
Spain has granted amnesty to illegal immigrants on six previous occasions between 1986 and 2005.
