Spain Moroccan Regularization 156000 Applications Legal Status

Spain expected approximately 500,000 applications. It ultimately received more than 1.17 million by the end of this regularization operation, according to the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. More than 609,000 files have already been processed, resulting in a first temporary authorization for residence and work.

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Moroccans occupy a central place in this operation. According to figures reported by El Debate, 156,272 applications were filed by Moroccan nationals. Morocco thus leads among African countries involved, far ahead of Algeria and Senegal, and ranks among the main nationalities in the overall process.

This regularization does not only concern recently arrived persons. Applicants had to already be living in Spain in irregular situation before January 1st, residing in the country for at least five months or having applied for asylum before that date, with no criminal record.

A massive and contested regularization

For many Moroccans, this procedure represents the opportunity to escape administrative precariousness. A file accepted for processing allows obtaining a temporary authorization to reside and work legally in Spain. It is a major change for people often already present in the country, but forced to live without documents.

The Spanish government presents this operation as a success, especially since nearly 160,000 applicants are already affiliated with Social Security. The most affected sectors include hospitality, commerce, administrative activities and construction, where many foreigners were already working formally or informally.

But the issue remains politically sensitive. The massive regularization far exceeds initial predictions and raises criticism in Spain, particularly regarding its compatibility with the European framework and the administration’s capacity to process such a volume of applications.

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For the Moroccans concerned, the stakes are more concrete: finally obtaining a residence permit, a legal employment contract, social protection and a life less dependent on fear of a police check or administrative refusal.