Spain has begun a process to grant legal status and work rights to up to half a million undocumented migrants, a move the government has described as part of its efforts to defeat the so-called far right, according to The Telegraph.
The initiative formally started on Tuesday following a last-minute agreement between the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) and its left-wing coalition partner, Podemos, which has supported Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority government since the 2023 general election.
A government spokesman said the policy was intended to counter political trends on the right, stating: “We not only intend to remain a beacon, but I want to believe that we will be a seed and a germ to fight against the advance of this far-Right wave that is trying to gain ground, and against which we will do everything in our power to stop it.”
Under the scheme, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, and individuals who have been living in Spain for more than five months by December 31, 2025, will be eligible to apply for legal status between early April and June 30 this year. Applicants with criminal records will be excluded.
Podemos said the legislation would help dismantle what it described as “institutional racism that only fuels exploitation and racist hatred.” The government has also framed the move as a political challenge to the right-wing Vox party, which has gained support in recent polling.
The Telegraph reported that the policy provides immediate work rights to successful applicants and represents one of the largest regularisation programs undertaken in Spain in recent years.
Spain’s so-called “far-right” movement, led by Vox, is experiencing a significant surge in support. Under the leadership of Santiago Abascal, Vox has tapped into widespread public concern over national identity, border security, cultural cohesion, and the prioritisation of Spanish citizens.
Recent polling from January 2026 shows Vox consistently attracting between 17 and 19 per cent of the national vote. Surveys conducted by organisations such as DYM/Henneo and El País place the party at around 18 per cent or higher in some projections. This represents a clear upward trajectory compared to previous election cycles and firmly establishes Vox as a major political force, often positioned as the decisive power broker in any future right-wing governing coalition.
Of course, the move has been condemned internationally, not merely because of its scale, but because of what the Spanish government has openly acknowledged in defending it. By framing the mass introduction of migrants as an instrument to counter political opponents, authorities have confirmed a suspicion long held by many across the Western world: that large-scale population movements are not treated as a humanitarian necessity, but as a political weapon against Nationalism.
As such, migration is leveraged to reshape electorates, blunt dissent, and overwhelm opposition movements that draw support from concerns about national sovereignty, cultural continuity, and democratic accountability. Critics argue that when governments openly justify such mass migration as a means of defeating their rivals, immigration ceases to be a matter of compassion or economic need and instead becomes a weaponised strategy of power—one deployed not against external threats, but against their own citizens.
