Spain’s socialist-led coalition has approved a decree to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. The decree will become effective in April 2025. To qualify, applicants must prove they have no criminal record and lived in Spain for at least five months or sought asylum before December 31, 2025. Elma Saiz, Spain’s minister for inclusion, called it a “historic day” aiming to “break the bureaucratic barriers of the past.” The decree was issued by royal decree and does not require parliamentary approval. Saiz said the plan supports a migration model “based on human rights, integration and coexistence” while aiding economic growth and social cohesion. The decision came after pressure from the left-wing Podemos party. Podemos leader Ione Belarra said, “No one else has to work without rights … Today and always, yes we can!” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in parliament that Spain needs migration for economic growth and to sustain welfare. He added, “Migration has been one of the great drivers of the development of nations while hatred and xenophobia have been the greatest destroyer.” The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants welcomed the move. Their officer Laetitia Van der Vennet said, “This could mean dignity, stability and access to basic rights” for many people. The decision also won praise from Spain’s Regularisation Now! movement for coming amid tougher European migration policies. However, the decree faced sharp criticism from the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Sánchez of distracting from a deadly rail crash and said, “Illegality is rewarded.” Vox leader Santiago Abascal called the move an “invasion” and demanded mass deportations, saying, “Sánchez the tyrant hates the Spanish people.” Spain has had nine previous regularisation programs since democracy was restored, with the PP running most of them. The current push follows a citizens’ initiative signed by 700,000 people and supported by 900 social groups. High migration has helped Spain reach its lowest unemployment since 2008 and filled labour shortages caused by an ageing population. Even far-right leaders in Italy recognize migration’s importance, planning hundreds of thousands of new work visas. Spain’s decree shows a bold step away from Europe’s hardline migration stance, aiming to turn migrants' lives around while supporting the country’s growth.