Spain has kicked off a program aimed at granting legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants, in a move that goes against a trend of anti-immigration rhetoric and policies in the United States and much of Europe.

The program, announced in January, intends to reduce labor exploitation in Spain’s underground economy. The country’s central bank and the United Nations have previously said that Spain needs around 300,000 migrant workers a year to sustain its welfare state.

Hundreds of migrants lined up outside migration offices to try to legalize their status on Monday as Spain opened an in-person application window.

Others queued outside city council buildings to obtain a certificate confirming they are in a state of vulnerability. Such a document is sometimes required to apply for regularization.

In Almería, a city on Spain’s southeastern coast, the line was so long that police had to turn people away for the day.

“I arrived at 6:30 a.m. There were already a lot of people. I’ll have to get up earlier,” Colombian migrant Enrique Solana told Reuters after an officer said officials would not be able to help all the migrants that day.

Spanish Migration Minister Elma Saiz said migrants must visit assigned offices by appointment and that in certain cases a vulnerability certificate is required.

She pushed back against concerns that the mass legalization measure would lead to more competition for jobs.

“Regularization is not competition. It is social justice and visibility. It is giving opportunities,” she said Monday on X.

When Spain announced the measure in January, Saiz said the country was “strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, coexistence and compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion.”

She added that the new measure was “necessary to respond to a reality that exists on our streets” and would benefit the country’s economy.

The presidency has said the measure will allow a “dignified” life for migrants.

Foreigners who arrived in Spain before Dec. 31, 2025, and can prove they have been living in the country for at least five months will be granted legal residency of up to one year and work permits valid for any sector nationwide. They will need to prove they have no criminal record.

People are able to apply from the beginning of April until June 30. (CNN)

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