Spain mass legalization of undocumented migrants: 1.2M apply, far exceeding 500K target

Spain's 2026 regularization program for undocumented migrants drew nearly 1.2 million applications, more than double the initial 500,000 target, signaling a major administrative and political challenge. The program, one of Europe's largest, reflects Spain's role as a top migration destination and will test public sentiment and integration capacity. The outcome is uncertain as processing such a large volume may strain resources and provoke political backlash.