As Western powers crack down on migrants, Spain embraces 500,000

Madrid, Spain – After losing his near limb successful a farming accident, Joel Caceda struggles to enactment delivering packages.

His pugnacious occupation is emblematic of galore that migrants are forced to instrumentality erstwhile they get successful Spain without immoderate ineligible papers.

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So, the 30-year-old Peruvian welcomed the quality that Spain plans to regularise astir 500,000 undocumented migrants, successful a interruption with harsh policies connected migration elsewhere successful Europe, successful countries similar Denmark, Germany and Austria, and successful the United States.

“This is bully for maine and galore others. It volition mean the accidental to go ineligible aft six years moving present without immoderate authoritative papers,” helium told Al Jazeera from his location successful Barcelona.

“It volition springiness maine the accidental to get a level with my spouse and her girl and unrecorded a amended life.”

His communicative is emblematic of tens of thousands of migrants who enactment successful what is known arsenic the “black economy” successful Spain, wherever they combat bureaucracy for years to triumph ineligible status.

An African migrant sits connected apical of a borderline obstruction covered successful razor ligament betwixt Morocco and Spain’s northbound African enclave of Melilla, during a latest effort to transverse into Spanish territory [File: Jesus Blasco de Avellaneda/Reuters]

Spanish Migration Minister Elma Saiz told a quality league connected Tuesday that the beneficiaries would beryllium capable to enactment “in immoderate sector, successful immoderate portion of the country” and pointed to “the affirmative impact” of migration.

“We are talking astir estimations, astir apt much oregon little the figures whitethorn beryllium astir fractional a cardinal people,” she added, saying the authorities was “recognising” and giving dignity to radical already successful Spain.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said Spain needs migration to capable workforce gaps and counteract an ageing colonisation that puts a strain connected pensions and the payment state.

Laetitia Van der Vennet, of the Platform for Undocumented Immigrants, an NGO, said the Spanish argumentation was a invited opposition to the anti-migrant question successful Europe and the US.

“At a clip erstwhile a hostile situation against migrants is spreading connected some sides of the Atlantic, this determination shows some humanity and communal sense,” she said.

‘Good for full society’

Ousman Umar knows lone excessively good the conflict of countless migrants who caput to Spain hoping to forge a caller beingness successful Europe.

The lad of a witch doc from Ghana, helium spent 5 years trying to scope the “promised land” of Europe aft leaving his distant colony successful the westbound African country.

At 1 stage, helium was abandoned by smugglers successful the Sahara and thought helium would die. He lone survived by drinking his urine.

After making it to Spain, helium lived connected the streets earlier helium was adopted by a family. He attended 1 of the apical concern schools successful Europe and founded NASCO Feeding Minds, an NGO which gives children successful Ghana the accidental to take their ain aboriginal by providing grooming and computers.

“This is not lone going to beryllium bully for migrants but the full society. It volition mean that these radical tin commencement moving legally, wage taxes and societal security,” Umar told Al Jazeera.

“This volition mean that each these radical wage into the pension strategy successful a state wherever the birthrate is debased and determination is simply a increasing fig of older people.”

Lamine Sar, who arrived successful Spain from Senegal 18 years ago, works with the Top Manta manner label, which celebrates the enactment galore migrants are forced to do, selling fake shot shirts oregon handbags connected sheets – known arsenic mantas – successful the streets.

“This is simply a immense measurement forward, not conscionable for migrants successful Spain but for everyone. It volition mean these radical lend to nine alternatively of being utilized successful a benignant of slavery successful the achromatic economy,” helium told Al Jazeera.

The measurement volition use to those surviving successful Spain for astatine slightest 5 months and who had applied for planetary extortion earlier December 31, 2025.

The regularisation volition besides see children of the applicants who already unrecorded successful Spain. Applications commencement successful April and tally until June.

Spain’s authorities passed a decree that volition not request to beryllium passed successful parliament, wherever the Socialist-led conjugation lacks a bulk and mightiness person met with staunch absorption from the absorption blimpish People’s Party and the far-right Vox party.

“The penetration kills. The accomplishment of fractional a cardinal migrants volition beryllium a telephone to different fractional cardinal migrants and enactment nether strain connected our wellness system, societal information and security,” wrote Santiago Abascal, person of Vox, successful a connection posted online.

Irregular migration to Spain fell by much than 40 percent past year, chiefly due to the fact that of deals struck betwixt the Spanish authorities and those successful Morocco and West Africa to summation information and cooperation.