Since the 1990s Spain –once a land of emigration – became the main host country for immigration. This rapid transformation had demographic, economic and political trajectories. A report published by the Terra Nova think-tank studied the “Spanish exception,” since the country stands out in the EU for having adopted a migratory policy known for legalizing undocumented migrants.
The study is structured in five parts. It first traces the demographic evolution and migratory flows since the 1980s in Spain, then examines the role of labor immigration and regularization programs. It then analyzes border policy and asylum, integration mechanisms, and finally the way in which the Spanish political world approaches immigration and its perception in public opinion.
Demographic reasons for immigration
The Spanish government wants economic immigration focused on employment to grow the workforce.
About 19 percent of the population immigrant in 2025, mostly from Latin America, Morocco, and Eastern Europe.
From 1999 to 2025, the Terra Nova research found changing immigrant populations. In 2009, Spain had 12 percent immigrants, up from 1.6 percent in 1999. After the 2008 recession, it dropped to 10.7 percent in 2010.
In 2025, about 19 percent of residents are immigrants. About 40 percent are from Latin America, while Moroccans are the most numerous foreigners. It’s mostly young immigrants.
In 2025, the country is preparing to regularize between 300,000 and 500,000 people, supported by a popular legislative initiative, in order to drastically reduce the number of undocumented people on the territory and encourage declared work.
From 49.2 million people, the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) reports 9.1 million immigrants, 2.5 million of whom are naturalised Spaniards and 6.6 million foreigners.
Immigration helps offset population ageing. Without it, Spain’s population could drop from 48 to 24 million by 2100. Since the 1980s, fertility in Spain has been lower than generational replacement, and natural growth has been negative since 2015. Immigration has stabilised the country’s demographics, with 0.5 percent yearly population growth over the last decade.
Labor Immigration—the Main Factor of Economic Growth
Spain has been able to link migration policy and economic needs by relying on immigration to support its growth, in particular through the integration of immigrants already in the country.
In 2024, Spain’s gross domestic product, which was one of the largest growth rates in the EU, reached 3.2 percent. Spain was the sole European nation to witness GDP growth in early 2025.
Approximately 409,000 of the 468,000 positions generated in Spain last year were filled by migrants or dual-national individuals, many of whom came from Latin America but also from Europe and Africa. According to JPMorgan, “the Bank of Spain’s analysis indicates that immigration contributed more than 20 percent to the nearly 3 percent GDP per capita income growth during 2022-2024.”
The tourism and agricultural sectors in Spain are home to a significant number of foreign workers, who are employed on seasonal and flexible contracts. Foreign laborers account for nearly 50 percent of the workforce in certain sectors.
The demographics of Spain were positively influenced by the influx of immigrants, as it resulted in a youthful population and the provision of additional labor. Starting in 2025, the Spanish government intends to grant legal status to 300,000 undocumented immigrants annually, resulting in the legalization of 900,000 foreign laborers in Spain over a three-year period.
The announcement comes on the commitment of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to effectively manage migration and employ it as an economic strategy. Spain has emerged as an outlier among its European neighbors who are bent on managing migration by closing its borders and tightening border controls.
Shortcomings of the Immigration System
Spain’s geographical position makes it a strategic gateway to the EU. The country’s geographical situation made Spain the main entry point for the migratory routes, especially in Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands.
While immigration through work is encouraged by the government and the state is free to define its economic immigration, the approach concerning asylum is a lot less open in Spain.
Madrid’s migration policy is marked by recurring tensions and controversial practices. Bilateral agreements with border countries of departure and transit, in particular Morocco and Mauritania, are accompanied by security cooperation and readmission policies within a constrained European framework.
Although the right of asylum, recognized by the Spanish Constitution, is weakly applied: the protection rate is among the lowest in Europe (only 19 percent, in contrast with 39 percent in France). Asylum seekers are frequently redirected toward temporary humanitarian visas or a system of regularization through labor.
It is the Ministry of Inclusion, Migration and Social Security that deals with the accommodation of asylum seekers, while the centers that accommodate the migrants are under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Spanish Ombudsman revealed in 2022 that there were not enough facilities to accommodate asylum seekers in Spain. Many people ended up homeless as a result.
The difficulties are particularly important in Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands, territories of first arrival. The situation in the Canary Islands prompted the Spanish government to trigger a state of migration emergency to keep certain accommodation facilities open.
The question is also complex for the Canary Islands, whose reception system has been strained by the increasing number of migrant arrivals. There were nearly 47,000 arrivals in the Canaries in 2024, and they were later transferred to different Spanish communes.
Public Reception of the Migrants
The anti-migrant riots that broke out in July near Murcia, in southern Spain, show how tense the situation has become lately. For the Vox populist party, hating migrants has a political advantage. Although the Spanish public opinion is conscious of the crucial need for this labor force made up of foreign workers. Other factors, like linguistic proximity to Latin American immigrants and memory of Spanish emigration, also contribute to a less polarized political debate.
The Spanish government’s objective is clear: it seeks economic immigration, based on inclusion through employment, meant to boost the workforce.
