Spain opened applications for a mass regularisation programme on May 22 [4] to grant legal status to undocumented migrants working in greenhouses.
This move seeks to integrate workers into the formal economy and address long-criticised exploitative conditions in the agricultural sector. By legalising the workforce, the government aims to ensure basic labor protections for those sustaining a critical part of the national economy.
The initiative focuses heavily on the Almería province in southeastern Spain, where plastic-covered greenhouses dominate the landscape. This region is a global hub for produce, with an export value of 3 billion euros per year [1]. For many workers, the programme represents a path out of the shadows after years of precarious employment.
Abdelmoujoud Erra, a migrant who lived in Spain for seven years before the amnesty [3], is among those seeking registration. The demand for the programme has been immediate, resulting in long lines at registration points across Spain [5].
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his left-wing administration designed the programme to target the greenhouse sector specifically. Officials said that at least 500,000 undocumented migrants will gain legal status through the process [2].
Registration points have been established nationwide to handle the volume of applicants. The government intends for the amnesty to stabilize the labor force while reducing the vulnerability of migrants to employer abuse, a persistent issue in the Almería region.
“Spain opened applications for a mass regularisation programme on May 22”
The amnesty program acknowledges the structural dependence of the Spanish agricultural economy on undocumented labor. By formalizing the status of half a million workers, the Sánchez administration is attempting to mitigate human rights criticisms regarding 'slave-like' conditions in Almería while securing the labor supply for a multi-billion euro export industry.
