By the numbers: Spain’s mass legalization for immigrants

Key Points:

• Approximately 1 million immigrants in Spain applied to legalize their status under a new government program launched in April, which offers a one-year renewable residence permit to those living in the country for at least five months with a clean criminal record.
• As of mid-June, the Spanish government had received 900,000 applications and processed around 360,000, with a three-month window to finalize all applications submitted by June 30.
• Colombian nationals represent the largest group of applicants at 30%, followed by Moroccans (14%), Venezuelans (10%), and Peruvians (9%), reflecting the significant presence of Latin American and African immigrants in key economic sectors like agriculture and tourism.
• The legalization effort, championed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as a matter of justice and equality, contrasts with stricter immigration policies in other parts of Europe and the U.S., and marks the sixth mass legalization initiative in Spain's history.
• Immigrants constitute about one-fifth of Spain’s population of 50 million, with many having fled violence or instability, and the current program has seen higher participation than previous efforts, such as the 2005 legalization involving 576,500 immigrants.