Spanish government approved 42,545 Catalonia migrant regularisation applications 

The Spanish government has resolved 47,596 pending Catalonia regularisation applications. 

Since April 16, Spain has approved 42,545 applications from Catalan residents whose cases had been stalled in the immigration system. 

Of the 47,596 pending applications, 87.2% were for arraigo-based residency (a form of regularisation based on migrants' established ties to Spain), 11% concerned accompanied minors, and 1.8% were asylum applications.

89.6% of these applications have been approved, 5.2% have been denied, 4.4% have been archived and 0.4% have been deemed inadmissible. 

88.5% of applicants are of working age and 27.6% reside in Barcelona. 

Of the total applicants, 60.1% of them are men and 39.9% are women. 50.9% of total applicants are between 30 and 49 years old. 

99 files remain unresolved, waiting for applicants to provide requested documentation. 

Extraordinary regularisation process

The extraordinary process of legalization for undocumented migrants is open until June 30. 

Approved applications are granted residence and work rights for one year, after which they transition into one of Spain's ordinary residence permit categories under the immigration regulations. 

The Spanish government's Catalonia delegate, Carlos Prieto, has clarified what immigration means, criticizing people for linking immigration with crime. 

Prieto noted that millions of people who immigrated to Spain from other countries do so to "contribute and work." 

He continued to say that Spain grows "thanks to migrants."

During the introduction of this process in April 2026 the Spanish government emphasised that the measures will cut off the business model of human traffickers, increase tax revenue, and reduce informal employment.