Overview
- The Migration Ministry said on Monday that about 900,000 undocumented migrants have applied to the expedited legalisation programme that opened in April and closes on June 30.
- Authorities have issued roughly 360,000 temporary work permits or accepted applications so far and say the state can process up to one million files between April and June.
- Civil-society group CEAR expects applications may top one million by the deadline, reflecting stronger demand than the roughly 500,000 cases the government initially forecast.
- Internal National Police reports and unnamed officers have warned that beneficiaries could trigger large family reunifications over coming years, with police projections cited as high as 1.5 million direct legalisations and up to 5 million additional arrivals by 2030 in a worst-case scenario.
- Early processing flaws have been reported, including instances where criminal-record checks were not always completed, and critics say the Royal Decree route that created the scheme raises political and oversight questions while admitted applicants can begin work once their files are accepted for processing.