Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s plan to regularise up to 500,000 undocumented migrants is drawing growing international attention — and not all of it is flattering. In a sharply critical opinion column, The New York Times argues that Spain’s approach to migration is being treated abroad as a success story when, in the author’s view, it is “overrated and harmful”, and could prove politically destabilising.
The piece lands as Spain’s Socialist-led government presses ahead with an extraordinary regularisation designed to move long-term residents out of the shadow economy and into formal work. Supporters describe it as both a pragmatic labour-market decision and a response to demographic decline. Critics see an invitation to political conflict — at home and within the EU.
What Spain is proposing — and why it matters
The government’s plan, approved by decree, is expected to take effect in April 2026 and could benefit roughly half a million people, including undocumented migrants and some asylum seekers, provided they meet conditions such as proof of residence and a clean criminal record.
It would be one of the most ambitious regularisations seen in Europe in recent years, at a moment when several EU countries are moving in the opposite direction.
The New York Times critique: economics praised, politics doubted
The New York Times column, written by Christopher Caldwell, challenges the upbeat narrative surrounding Spain in parts of the international press. According to the Spanish summary, Caldwell argues that Spain’s economic performance is too often presented as proof that the country has “solved” migration, when Spain’s growth model has long depended on tourism and low-wage labour, regardless of which party is in power.
More pointedly, the column warns that large-scale regularisation may be “democratically unsustainable”, fuelling resentment and driving a political backlash similar to populist surges elsewhere in Europe and the United States.
EU scrutiny is also rising
Spain’s move is not happening in a vacuum. This week, the European Commission warned that a residence permit is not a “blank cheque” and stressed that if regularised migrants later move illegally to other EU states, those people would be returned to Spain under EU rules.
That intervention underlines a political reality in Brussels: even when migration policy remains largely national, the consequences can quickly become European.
The counter-argument: ageing Spain needs workers
Even critics tend to acknowledge the basic demographic pressure facing Spain. The country is ageing quickly, the birth rate remains low, and key sectors rely on labour that is already here — often working informally, without protection or tax contributions.
The government’s case is that bringing people into legal employment improves social security contributions, reduces exploitation, and aligns immigration with economic needs. Supporters also argue Spain is offering a different model at a time when much of Europe is tightening rules.
Why this debate is likely to intensify
The politics are already sharpening. The planned regularisation has become a focal point for opposition attacks, while international voices have piled in — including criticism amplified on social media by Elon Musk, which prompted a public response from Sánchez in late January.
With implementation approaching, the next phase will be less about headlines and more about mechanics: who qualifies, how applications are processed, and whether Spain can prevent the policy becoming the kind of political lightning rod the New York Times columnist predicts.