Spain is preparing to launch a scheme to connect migrants with jobs as part of a wider programme aimed at granting legal status to roughly half a million undocumented workers in a bid to boost economic growth, the country’s top immigration official has said.
The initiative, unveiled in January, has drawn criticism from far-right parties in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. However, Spain’s socialist-led coalition government insists migration is vital if the economy is to keep outperforming many of its European counterparts, particularly by helping offset an ageing population with a younger workforce.
During a Supreme Court hearing on Friday, after far-right organisations sought an injunction to block the regularisation process, government lawyers said 549,596 people had applied during the programme’s first month. According to state broadcaster TVE, that figure was slightly above initial expectations. ALSO READ: Spain to commence mass regularisation of undocumented migrants.
Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela (main image) said that the system was capable of processing as many as one million applications, while stressing that not all applicants would ultimately receive permits. She added that the authorities were also developing a strategy to help migrants secure formal employment.
Cancela described the policy as both economically sensible and humanitarian, arguing it would help make Spain’s public services and pension system more sustainable in the long term. ALSO READ: Spain’s population reaches all-time high of 49.4 million, driven by immigration.
Official projections suggest Spain will need around 2.4 million additional contributors to the social security system over the next decade in order to maintain the welfare state. ALSO READ: PM Sánchez defends Spain’s immigration model, urging Europe to take note.
According to estimates from think-tank Funcas, around 840,000 undocumented migrants are currently working in Spain’s shadow economy, most of them from Latin America. ALSO READ: ‘We owe a lot to them’ – Sánchez hails benefits of ‘safe, orderly, regular migration’.
The government’s job-placement plan is designed to move large numbers of those workers into the formal economy while easing labour shortages in sectors facing staffing gaps.
‘It’s a huge opportunity to harness the potential of all these people who are already helping to build the country alongside us, often working in precarious conditions,’ Cancela said, adding ‘real integration’ would follow once they find a formal job.
Under the plan, the Migration Ministry will carry out a voluntary survey among migrants granted provisional work permits to better understand their professional skills and preferred areas of employment.
Officials are also working alongside employer organisations in industries including construction, tourism, transport and care services to assess labour needs and match them with regularised migrants seeking work.
A study by Esade Business School cautioned that Spain’s previous migrant regularisation programme in 2005 contributed to some job losses in the informal economy.
The paper recommended strengthening labour inspections and introducing programmes aimed at helping workers transition into formal employment.
Cancela said the ministry’s initiative would indeed be accompanied by tougher labour inspections.
“I think it’s also a major opportunity to bring certain situations to light, because when people come forward in the regularisation process, we will learn about their circumstances,” she said.
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💼La SEM comparece en la Comisión de Trabajo, Economía Social, Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones del Congreso para informar sobre la regularización extraordinaria@PiliCancela El “efecto llamada” es un país que crea empleo, oportunidades, integración, es seguro y estable pic.twitter.com/2QNBED4pLt
— Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones (@SEstadoMigr) May 19, 2026
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— Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones (@SEstadoMigr) May 24, 2026
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