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Spain could move to regularize nearly 1.6 million migrants under new estimates from the country’s National Police, far exceeding earlier projections and intensifying the national debate over migration policy.
According to an internal report from the General Commissariat, cited by Spanish media, approximately 1.25 million foreign nationals could directly benefit from the scheme. Additional inflows from Schengen countries, maritime arrivals, and increased air travel could push the total number of eligible applicants to around 1.56 million.
These figures significantly surpass the government’s initial estimate of 500,000 and even exceed a later projection of 1.3 million. This has prompted furious comments from across the continent—and elsewhere.
In Germany, journalist Wolfgang Osinski, media spokesman for the WerteUnion (Values Union) party, on Wednesday criticised Sánchez “and other enemies of our values” for “irresponsibly initiating irreversible developments.”
Sweden Democrats MP Josef Fransson described the mass granting of citizenship to those who have resided in Spain for just five months as “absolutely insane.”
Earlier this month, Spain’s Socialist government expanded access to free healthcare for illegal migrants. Migration Minister Elma Saiz Delgado confirmed that the new policy guarantees medical care to foreign nationals residing in Spain without legal status, provided they arrived before December 31st, 2025, have lived in the country for at least five months, and do not have a criminal record. The measure was approved by royal decree, bypassing parliament where the government currently lacks a stable majority.
The expansion has drawn criticism from Spain’s political right, who argue that granting healthcare and residency rights to illegal migrants will encourage further illegal migration.
A December report by the CEU-CEFAS Demographic Observatory found that foreigners account for 31% of Spain’s prison population and, on a per capita basis, commit significantly higher rates of certain violent crimes compared to Spanish citizens, including homicide and rape. Half of all women murdered in Spain in 2025 were killed by foreigners, even though foreigners made up just 13.4% of the country’s population at that time.
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