People queue outside Pakistan’s consulate in Barcelona to apply for criminal record certificates, a document required for the migrant regularisation programme, January 30, 2026. Spain plans to grant legal status to about half a million undocumented migrants | Photo: REUTERS/Albert Gea
People queue outside Pakistan’s consulate in Barcelona to apply for criminal record certificates, a document required for the migrant regularisation programme, January 30, 2026. Spain plans to grant legal status to about half a million undocumented migrants | Photo: REUTERS/Albert Gea

Spain’s new drive to fast-track legal status for half a million migrants is already causing anxiety. Weeks before it begins, immigration offices are stretched, and the government has yet to release details on applications or provide extra staff and funding.