Barely hours after the government confirmed its extraordinary regularisation decree, Spain’s main opposition party, the Partido Popular (PP), launched a fierce counter-offensive. Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of using immigration policy to “divert attention from the rail-safety crisis” following last week’s deadly Adamuz train derailment.
Feijóo argued that granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented foreigners without strengthening integration budgets or labour-market controls “will only feed the shadow economy, overstretch public services and act as a new pull-factor for irregular migration.” The conservative leader vowed to repeal the decree and replace it with “orderly, merit-based immigration” should his party return to power.
PP lawmakers also questioned the legal basis of the measure, noting that previous amnesties were passed by Parliament, not by executive decree. The government counters that Article 86 of Spain’s Constitution permits decrees in cases of “extraordinary and urgent necessity” and stresses that the measure will still be subject to parliamentary ratification within 30 days.
![Conservative Opposition Slams Mass Regularisation as “Reward for Illegality”]()
For those trying to keep pace with Spain’s evolving immigration framework, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service offers real-time updates on visa categories, electronic application tools and document-legalisation support, giving employers, assignees and legal advisers a reliable resource amid shifting regulations.
For global-mobility managers, the political backlash signals potential uncertainty over long-term residence renewals if a future government revises or rescinds the programme. Companies planning to hire newly regularised staff should monitor the legislative debate and maintain alternative visa strategies, such as highly qualified worker permits, for critical talent.
Despite the rhetoric, analysts at the Autonomous University of Madrid expect the decree to survive any legal challenges, pointing out that Spain has carried out eight regularisation waves since the 1980s, under both Socialist and conservative governments.
Feijóo argued that granting legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented foreigners without strengthening integration budgets or labour-market controls “will only feed the shadow economy, overstretch public services and act as a new pull-factor for irregular migration.” The conservative leader vowed to repeal the decree and replace it with “orderly, merit-based immigration” should his party return to power.
PP lawmakers also questioned the legal basis of the measure, noting that previous amnesties were passed by Parliament, not by executive decree. The government counters that Article 86 of Spain’s Constitution permits decrees in cases of “extraordinary and urgent necessity” and stresses that the measure will still be subject to parliamentary ratification within 30 days.
For those trying to keep pace with Spain’s evolving immigration framework, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service offers real-time updates on visa categories, electronic application tools and document-legalisation support, giving employers, assignees and legal advisers a reliable resource amid shifting regulations.
For global-mobility managers, the political backlash signals potential uncertainty over long-term residence renewals if a future government revises or rescinds the programme. Companies planning to hire newly regularised staff should monitor the legislative debate and maintain alternative visa strategies, such as highly qualified worker permits, for critical talent.
Despite the rhetoric, analysts at the Autonomous University of Madrid expect the decree to survive any legal challenges, pointing out that Spain has carried out eight regularisation waves since the 1980s, under both Socialist and conservative governments.
