Spain’s regularisation: hope, pressure and the real work behind the headlines

This article is based on an interview with Vladimir Paspuel Revelo, President of Asociación Rumiñahui, a Spanish migrant-led organisations supporting people through the regularisation process.

Spain’s 2026 regularisation programme was announced in January 2026 by the Spanish government and ran from mid-April until 30 June 2026. Its criteria are quite broad and include having lived in Spain for at least five months and before 31 December 2025, having no criminal record in both Spain and the country of origin, having valid ID documents, and proving either work or family ties or being in a situation of vulnerability. Once regularised, people receive a one-year residence and work permit from which they can access standard residence permits. The programme is expected to benefit over half a million undocumented people living in Spain, but the media reports that 540,000 people applied in the first month, and a first 91,000 people had received a positive decision by the end of May.

What do you think of Spain’s regularisation programme?

For us, both as an organisation and as migrants, this regularisation is an enormous opportunity. It is especially important for people who have been living in an irregular administrative situation.

To be honest, we did not think it would happen. But the pressure from civil society was important. It has been a struggle of almost four years.

More than 900 organisations came together and helped collect over 700,000 signatures calling for a broad regularisation of undocumented people . We worked with different political groups and kept pushing until we achieved this result. It’s not something that has fallen from the sky out of goodwill.

What this achievement shows is the importance of being organised and building alliances – not only among migrant organisations but also with churches, social organisations, farmers, employers and other groups.

How do you assess the criteria and conditions of the programme?

Compared with other regularisations that we have experienced, the criteria are quite broad and positive.

Of course, there are still challenges. Some people come from countries where obtaining criminal record certificates is difficult. However, we have successfully lobbied the Spanish government to use diplomatic channels and administrative cooperation to simplify these procedures.

There are also people who may struggle to obtain passports or identity documents, but I understand why identification is necessary. Governments need to know who is applying, and identity checks are important to prevent fraud or document trafficking.

The window for applications could perhaps have been longer, too, but the government wants to finish the programme before the Migration and Asylum Pact comes into force.

At the same time, from what we are seeing, the administration has been working efficiently. Thousands of certificates have already been issued, and the process is moving relatively quickly.

What challenges are migrants facing during the regularisation process?

One issue that worries us is the amount some migrants are paying for legal assistance. We are seeing lawyers charging €300 or more for relatively straightforward applications, and in some cases much higher amounts. Many migrants feel they need legal representation , and this can become very expensive.

Another challenge concerns people who simply cannot leave work to complete the procedures.For example, many women working in domestic care are looking after elderly people in private homes. Sometimes there is nobody else available to replace them, and they are not given permission to leave.

We see similar situations among agricultural workers and people living in small rural communities. We are trying to find practical solutions to make the process more accessible for them.

What role is Asociación Rumiñahui playing?

We are helping people prepare and submit their applications. Associación Rumiñahui is also accredited to certify that people are in a situation of vulnerability, which is one of the grounds for regularisation. We have issued so-called ‘vulnerability certificates’ to more than 10,000 people so far. At the moment we are submitting dozens of applications every day.

How has this affected your organisation?

It has changed our daily work completely.

We have had to pause many of our normal activities in order to focus on the regularisation programme. We are relying heavily on volunteers and additional support because the demand is so high. Thanks to PICUM’s support, we were able to hire two half-time workers to help us through the regularisation process.

As an organisation led by migrants, we feel a responsibility to do everything we can. We are fully committed because this is the best opportunity undocumented people have to regularise their stay.

What happens after people become regularised?

The next challenge is employment.

Regularisation is important, but people also need decent working conditions and proper contracts. We still encounter employers who do not want workers to become regularised because that means paying social security contributions and having to comply fully with labour law.

There are people who are interested in keeping workers irregular. We need greater awareness among employers and proper enforcement so that workers can enjoy the rights that regularisation is supposed to provide.

What has been people’s reaction to the regularisation programme?

People are happy. They are excited. They are hopeful. Some people have come here to the office, received their approval, and started crying.

These are very emotional moments because many people have been waiting for this opportunity for years.

For us, seeing those reactions makes all the effort worthwhile. We keep working because we see them smile, we see people get their papers, and we see them gain their rights.

What message would you relay to other countries?

Migration contributes enormously to society. Governments should recognise that.

Regularisation is not only about giving people documents. It is about protecting rights, preventing exploitation, and allowing people to contribute fully to society.

All countries should learn from the Spanish programme.

When people remain undocumented, they are more vulnerable and easier to exploit. Regularisation benefits migrants, but it also benefits society as a whole.