There is less than a month left until June 30, the deadline for processing the extraordinary regularization of migrants in the Spanish State that began on April 16. The measure, approved through Royal Decree 316/2026 of April 14, allows people in an irregular administrative situation and applicants for international protection who were in the country before January 1, 2026, to obtain a residence and work permit. It is estimated that around 500,000 people will benefit, providing access to basic rights that every person should have guaranteed.
The regulation is the outcome of a prolonged and hard-fought social mobilization. The “Regularization NOW” movement, a self-convened state-wide network of migrant groups and anti-racist organizations born around 2020, registered a Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) in April 2024, supported by more than 700,000 signatures and 900 entities.
This ILP languished in Congress until an agreement between political forces in January 2026 allowed its content to be channeled through a royal decree.
This clearly demonstrates the importance and usefulness of different forms of pressure on power structures through collective struggle.
Despite having shortcomings compared to the initial ILP and not tackling structural inequality at its root, these new regularization processes take an important step toward allowing hundreds of thousands of people to live without fear and with dignity, thereby strengthening society as a whole.
