Spain Overhauls Immigration Rules to Legalize 300,000 Migrants Annually — NGOs Raise Alarms

Madrid, May 20, 2025 — The Spanish government has enacted major reforms to its Immigration Regulations, aiming to streamline residence pathways for non-EU nationals and regularize up to 300,000 undocumented migrants each year. But while the reform promises flexibility, migrant rights organizations are sounding the alarm over potential blind spots in protection.

New Rules Aim for Simplification & Efficiency

Effective May 20, the reforms aim to simplify administrative procedures, cut excessive bureaucracy, and reduce duplicate document requests. Spain’s Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, said the goal is to reduce processing delays and make it easier for migrants to understand their rights and available legal channels.

The law now clarifies permit types and streamlines the modification of legal status for migrant workers and their families.

Five New Settlement Routes for Migrants

The updated regulation recognizes five official settlement pathways:

Social-based settlement

Socio-educational settlement

Work-related settlement

Family-based settlement

Second-chance regularization

One of the most impactful changes: the minimum period of residence has been lowered from three to two years, and migrants can now work as employees or be self-employed from the start.

The reform also introduces a new combined residence-work permit, streamlining hiring processes for foreign workers.

New Rules for Students

International students in Spain will now be allowed to:

Work up to 30 hours per week, even if the job is not related to their degree;

Hold a residence permit valid for the full duration of their academic program.

NGOs Warn of Gaps in Asylum Protections

Despite the government’s optimistic framing, NGOs such as Caritas, CEAR, and Jesuit Migrant Service have filed legal appeals to the Supreme Court. Their core concern: the reforms don’t allow time spent waiting for asylum decisions to count toward residence requirements.

This means that rejected asylum seekers could be excluded from regularization pathways, even if they’ve been in Spain for years.

These groups warn the reform could push more people into irregular status, undermining integration efforts.

“The system may become more efficient on paper, but it risks leaving thousands of vulnerable people behind,” said a spokesperson from CEAR.

As Spain pushes ahead with its immigration modernization plan, the balance between administrative efficiency and human rights will remain at the center of the national debate.