Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s migration debate has hardened after Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition People’s Party (PP), firmly rejected proposals for an extraordinary regularisation of undocumented migrants, arguing that “illegality cannot create rights”.
Speaking during a campaign event, Feijóo said his party would oppose what he described as a “
A direct challenge to the government’s plan
The comments come as Spain’s government moves forward with preparations for an exceptional regularisation process aimed at migrants already living and working in the country without legal status.
Moreover, the proposal, backed by the left and several regional partners, is presented as a way to reduce labour shortages, tackle exploitation, and bring people out of the informal economy. Feijóo, however, insists the approach risks sending the wrong message.
According to the PP leader, “you cannot tell people that breaking the rules eventually produces rights”, warning that such a move could undermine trust in the legal migration system.
Votes or policy?
Feijóo also questioned the political timing of the initiative, suggesting it is driven less by labour needs than by electoral calculation. In one of his sharpest lines, he accused the government of confusing “papers with ballots”, implying the move is designed to secure future political support.
Government ministers strongly reject that claim, arguing that regularisation does not grant voting rights and that legal residency remains a complex, regulated process.
Not the first clash on migration
This is not the first time migration has become a fault line between Spain’s main parties. The PP has consistently argued for tighter controls, faster returns of irregular arrivals, and closer coordination with the EU, while the left has focused on integration, labour demand, and humanitarian obligations.
What makes this moment different is scale. The current proposal could affect hundreds of thousands of people, reopening a debate last seen during Spain’s major regularisation process in 2005.
A debate that goes beyond politics
Beyond party lines, the issue exposes a broader tension within Spanish society: how to balance economic reality with legal frameworks. Sectors such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality rely heavily on migrant labour, much of it informal.
Supporters of regularisation argue that ignoring this reality only entrenches exploitation. Critics counter that legal pathways, not retroactive measures, should be the solution.
A complex parliamentary journey
The regularisation proposal is expected to face a complex parliamentary journey, with negotiations likely to intensify in the coming weeks. Feijóo’s stance signals that migration will remain a central battleground as Spain heads deeper into an election-charged political calendar.
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