The government of Sánchez criticized Feijóo’s remarks as “profoundly irresponsible,” accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting two separate policies. It emphasized that the legalization process beneficiaries cannot vote in regional or national elections as they are granted residence permits, with voting rights reserved for citizens.
Facing backlash over his inconsistency, Feijóo on Thursday seemed to change his stance. “We agree that a grandchild, where there is a very clear line of descent, should be entitled to Spanish citizenship,” he stated during a speech in Santander, although he maintained that the government lacked transparency during the process.
While Feijóo reconsidered, the far-right Vox party intensified its critique of the government’s immigration policies, with parliamentary spokesperson José María Figaredo labeling it as “silent electoral fraud.” The party called for a revision of the legislation and the suspension of mail-in voting for Spaniards abroad, claiming vulnerability to manipulation could lead to a “delayed coup d’état.”
Spain’s mass legalization drive resulted in nearly 1.2 million unauthorized migrants applying for legal status, as reported by the Ministry of Migration on Thursday.
The Ministry said that 609,737 of the 1,174,968 applications submitted by the June 30 deadline had been processed, resulting in provisional residence and work permits, with nearly 11,000 applicants obtaining full legal status under the royal decree approved last April.
Migration Minister Elma Saiz highlighted that 67 percent of the applications were from Central and South American migrants, with Colombians as the largest group followed by Moroccans, Venezuelans, and Peruvians. The initiative, she added, grants “hundreds of thousands of people who already reside in our country, but with fear and without rights, the chance to embrace the future with enthusiasm and hope.”
The application count far surpassed government expectations. Initially, authorities estimated around 500,000 unauthorized migrants would apply under the decree, which applies to those living in Spain for at least five months without a criminal record.
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