Large crowds of migrants, including many from African countries, have formed outside Spanish consulates and foreign embassies across Spain as the government’s new mass regularisation programme gets underway.
The Spanish Cabinet approved the extraordinary regularisation decree on April 14, opening a six-month window for undocumented migrants already living in the country to apply for a one-year renewable residence and work permit.
In recent weeks and days, long queues have formed outside consulates of countries of origin, especially Moroccan, Algerian, Senegalese and Pakistani missions in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and Bilbao.
Migrants are rushing to obtain criminal record certificates and other required documents, which many consulates are struggling to process quickly.
Some sites have reported overcrowding, with people arriving early in the morning and waiting for hours.
Online, several videos were shared of large crowds massing in front of embassies and consulates
🚨 El Consulado de Marruecos en Almería está saturado tras el anuncio del Gobierno marroquí de facilitar la documentación para que sus ciudadanos en situación ilegal en España puedan ser regularizados. pic.twitter.com/YSLZGd5Qt4
— Canario Today (@CanarioToday) April 15, 2026
There is reportedly also a notable increase in illegal entries through Algeria’s southern border.
A steady flow of sub-Saharan migrants from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa is travelling thousands of kilometres to gather in southern Algeria, particularly around Tamanrasset and surrounding areas.
Their stated objective is to reach the northern Algerian coast and attempt sea crossings toward the Andalusian coast, the Levant or the Balearic Islands.
This news was spread via different Telegram and WhatsApp groups reportedly controlled by people-smuggling networks.
Algerian officials confirmed the increase of illegal migrants and said they did not have the capacity to stop it.
Security forces estimate that about 14,000 illegal immigrants have left Algeria for Spain.
Applications for regularisation in Spain began online today, with in-person processing starting from April 20 and closing on June 30.
Eligible applicants must prove they were in Spain before January 1, 2026, have resided continuously there for at least five months and have no criminal record.
The measure is expected to benefit around 500,000 people, according to official estimates, although analyses by the police suggest the number could be three times as high.
While the largest groups of undocumented migrants in Spain are from Latin America, significant numbers of African nationals, particularly from Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and other sub-Saharan countries, are also seeking to qualify.
🇪🇸 Massive queues of illegal migrants have formed at consulates of Morocco, Algeria, and other countries across Spain, following the launch of an extraordinary immigrant regularization process.
The surge is largely driven by the requirement to obtain a criminal record… pic.twitter.com/AmlwuJTw2a
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 16, 2026
The programme, promoted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government as a way to acknowledge the economic contribution of long-term irregular residents and ease labour shortages in sectors such as agriculture, care and services, contrasts with tightening immigration policies elsewhere in Europe.
The huge waves of migrants appearing at Spain’s doorsteps appear to vindicate critics from the Right, who have warned that the regularisation could act as a pull factor for further irregular migration and place additional strain on public services.
Spain’s mass regularisation also runs counter to the new European consensus on migration, which emphasises stricter border controls, faster returns and the full implementation of the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum from June 2026.
