Spain to Legalize 300,000 Illegal Immigrants Every Year Under New Reforms

The reforms come as the country struggles with an aging population.

Migrants disembark from the Aquarius rescue ship after arriving to port in Valencia, Spain, on June 17, 2018. Kenny Karpov/SOS Mediterranee/Handout via Reuters

Spain will grant legal status to 300,000 illegal immigrants every year under new migration reform legislation passed on Nov. 19 aimed at bolstering the country’s labor force and sustaining economic growth.

The policy approved by the country’s leftist minority coalition government will begin the legalization process in May 2025, and it will continue through 2027.