Spain: Grants Residency to Half a Million Migrants

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez granted residency to half a million migrants on February 2, 2026, a move opposing far-right policies and racist rhetoric.

The decision stipulates that those who can prove they resided in Spain for at least five months before the end of 2025 and have no criminal record can apply for a renewable residence and work permit.

In 2018, Sánchez welcomed the 630 migrants from the rescue ship Aquarius, who had been denied entry by Italy and Malta. He stated that Spain had to choose between being an open and prosperous country or a closed and poor country.

According to him, welcoming migrants is the only realistic way to grow the economy and maintain the welfare state.

From Trump's ICE to Plevris' Coast Guard, states are coordinating in an unspoken conspiracy, with the discussion around migration turning into a tool for political polarization.