Spain is set to legalise up to 300,000 undocumented migrants each year for the next three years in a bid to support its economy and tackle an aging population.

The initiative aims to expand the country’s workforce and allow foreigners living in Spain without proper documentation to obtain work permits and residency.

Announcing the policy recent Spain’s Migration Minister Elma Saiz, said the plan is not only aimed at “cultural wealth and respect for human rights, it’s also prosperity.”

The scheme starts in May 2025 and has been approved by Spain’s left-wing coalition government.

Spain needs about 250,000 foreign workers each year to support its economy, and particularly to sustain its welfare system, and alleviate the pressures of an aging population.

Spain has largely remained open to receiving migrants even as other European nations seek to tighten their borders to illegal crossings and asylum seekers.

According to government figures, about 54,000 undocumented migrants have reached Spain this year by sea or land. But the exact number of foreigners living in Spain without documentation is unclear.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has championed migration reform as a central component of his administration’s strategy to combat the nation’s low birthrate and ensure economic prosperity.

In a bid to address irregular migration, Sánchez visited three West African nations earlier this year to discuss stopping dangerous sea crossings to the Canary Islands, which often serves as a gateway to Europe.

Many migrants from countries such as Mali and Senegal undertake perilous journeys to escape violence, political instability or economic hardship.

The new policy simplifies bureaucratic hurdles for visas and enhances protections for migrants.

The duration of visas for job seekers will be extended from three months to one year, a change aimed reducing the exploitation of undocumented workers, many of whom are employed in Spain’s underground economy in roles such as fruit picking, caregiving, delivery driving or other low-paid jobs spurned by Spaniards.

Without legal protections, they can be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

Minister Saiz said the new policy would help prevent abuse and “serve to combat mafias, fraud and the violation of rights”.

Spain’s economy, one of the fastest growing in the EU, has been buoyed by a strong post-pandemic recovery and a robust tourism sector.

Immigration has also played a pivotal role in this growth. In 2023 Spain issued 1.3 million visas to foreign nationals because of the nation’s reliance on migrant labour to fill workforce shortages.