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Spain receives over 900,000 applications for immigrant legalization program
The Spanish government received more than 900,000 applications by mid-June for a program offering one-year renewable residence permits to immigrants without legal status. Officials had estimated 500,000 people might apply before the June 30 deadline.
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Spain's government received more than 900,000 applications by June 12 for a temporary program that grants one-year renewable residence and work permits to immigrants without legal status. The program requires applicants to have lived in the country for five months and to have a clean criminal record.
Officials originally estimated that 500,000 people could benefit, though police and think tanks placed the figure closer to one million.
Application processing and demographics By mid-June, officials had processed 360,000 applications. The government has three months to complete processing for all submissions received by the June 30 deadline. Colombian nationals accounted for 30 percent of applicants. Moroccan nationals made up 14 percent, Venezuelans 10 percent, and Peruvians 9 percent.
Program background and prior measures Spain has conducted six previous mass legalization programs since 1986. The largest prior effort in 2005 resulted in 576,500 approvals. The current program opened in April after its announcement in January. One in five Spanish residents was born outside the country, with many coming from Colombia, Venezuela, and Morocco.
