Overview
- Pedro Sánchez unveiled a program to grant residence and work rights to roughly 500,000 undocumented residents, which Spanish media describe with estimates ranging from half a million to more than 800,000.
- The decree grants status to people who can prove arrival before January 1, 2026, five months of continuous presence, and a clean criminal record, loosening past job-contract requirements.
- Following Monday's televised remarks, Republican leader Bruno Retailleau pledged to restore border checks with Spain and to push EU partners to isolate Madrid, arguing the move violates the European spirit.
- Inside Spain, long lines formed at town halls and consulates within a day of the decree, center-right mayors moved motions to halt implementation, and a SocioMétrica poll cited by Spanish press reported 67% opposition.
- France’s interior and labor ministers signaled a shift toward more work-based permits for shortage jobs after only 1,655 such titles were issued in 2025, even as some French commentary noted Italy’s similar pathway and urged Paris to fix its own system first.