MADRID — Non-governmental organizations across Spain are making a final push to help undocumented migrants register for a special mass regularisation program before the application deadline on Tuesday, as authorities process far more requests than initially anticipated.
The campaign has attracted about 1 million applicants within a matter of weeks, while government figures show registrations have significantly exceeded original expectations. The initiative offers eligible migrants the opportunity to obtain a one-year residence permit in a country where an estimated 840,000 people work without legal documentation and residency procedures can often take more than a year.
As the deadline approaches, organizations including CEAR and Cepaim have intensified efforts to contact migrants who are still attempting to complete their applications, encouraging them to submit paperwork even if some supporting documents have not yet arrived from their home countries.
“We’re carrying out a final check of all the people who have come to our offices and who may have been missing some documentation at the start of the process,” said Elena Muñoz, coordinator of CEAR’s legal team.
“If a case is not yet complete, we will submit it before June 30 so that they do not miss the opportunity to benefit from the regularisation process,” she added.
Spanish authorities had initially expected around 500,000 applications between April and June. However, by Friday the number of submissions had climbed to approximately 1.27 million, according to Cesar Perez, leader of Spain’s immigration officers’ union.
Aid organizations are also working to reassure migrants who remain uncertain about filing applications, emphasizing that applicants will receive additional time to provide missing documentation after submitting their initial requests.
Juan Segura, director-general of Cepaim, said many migrants have encountered obstacles obtaining official documents required to complete their applications, particularly those from countries affected by conflict or administrative disruption.
Migrants from countries including Iran and Mali have struggled to legalize documents through Spanish consulates, while applicants from Algeria and Nigeria have also faced complex bureaucratic procedures, according to aid groups.
Venezuelan applicants have experienced delays obtaining apostilles for criminal record certificates, while recent changes in Spain’s asylum policies have forced some asylum seekers to switch to the regularisation process only weeks before the deadline, leaving them with limited time to assemble the required paperwork.
“This meant some Venezuelans had less time to gather the necessary documents,” Segura said, adding that extending the deadline would help many applicants complete their files.
Spain’s Migration Ministry has indicated it does not intend to extend the application period despite appeals from advocacy groups.
CEAR argues Spain should introduce a permanent mechanism allowing undocumented migrants to regularize their status without requiring them to spend two years living in irregular conditions before becoming eligible for residency.
Technical issues have added further complications in the final days of the program. Silvana Cabrera, who heads a migrant support organization in Valencia, said online application platforms experienced disruptions as thousands attempted to register before the deadline.
“It’s a distressing situation,” Cabrera said. “Many migrants may not manage to register.”
Aid organizations estimate that at least one-fifth of all applications could ultimately be rejected because of incomplete documentation or limited administrative flexibility.
Among those still hoping for approval is Colombian migrant Jose Luis Quiroga, who arrived in Spain only hours after the program’s eligibility cutoff but nevertheless submitted an application following advice from the migrant organization Aculco.
“There’s no certainty,” Quiroga said. “But it seems unfair they wouldn’t approve my application just because I was four hours late.”
