Spain Receives Nearly One Million Applications in Immigrant Legalization Program
Spain's recent legalization program for undocumented immigrants has received nearly one million applications, far exceeding the government's initial estimate of 500,000 beneficiaries. Launched in April with a closing window in June, the policy grants one-year renewable residence permits to immigrants who have lived in Spain for at least five months and have clean criminal records. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the measure as a necessary act of justice, contrasting it with stricter immigration policies in other parts of Europe and the US. The program has sparked significant public debate within Spain.