Marina Aísa

The Spanish government, immersed in its worst migration and humanitarian crisis, will grant residency permits to all illegal immigrants who have entered Spain before 2025: this could impact between 500,000 and 1 million people who are among the most vulnerable to social exclusion. 👏

The move comes in response to a popular initiative that collected 700,000 signatures, led by immigrant associations and—surprisingly—the Catholic Church. 😮👏

This initiative will be supported by all the political parties, including the conservative PP party, likely due to the Church's involvement. With the exception of the ultra-right party VOX 🤮.

👉 More than 10,000 people died trying to enter Spain irregularly in 2024 alone.

More information on this and on improvements to Spain's immigration laws can be found in this podcast episode of Hoy en El País. 👇

https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/la-regularizaci%C3%B3n-de-inmigrantes-parche-y-soluci%C3%B3n/id1376446768?i=1000709214830

La regularización de inmigrantes: parche y solución

Episodio de podcast · Hoy en EL PAÍS · 21/05/2025 · 20 min

Apple Podcasts
May 22, 2025 at 8:50pmWeb
Show threadMarina AísaJun 10, 2025

A very good new video by TLDR News explaining how Spain is addressing its demographic challenges and achieving the highest economic growth in the EU by increasing immigration and granting residency permits to all of its irregular immigrants.

I'm also very happy to see that the tech sector in Spain is growing so much, thanks to immigrants too. 👏

What's clear is that anti-immigration policies don’t benefit the countries that adopt them. Instead, they benefit countries with more welcoming immigration policies, as part of the immigration flow is redirected to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQyG26zKo0

Why Spain is Moving Left on Immigration While Europe Moves Right

YouTube
Show threadMarina AísaJan 28

Congratulations to the 700,000 people and 900 social organisations who fought for years to make this possible.

It’s finally a reality and will affect all people who entered the country irregularly before December 31, 2025.

Social justice and inclusion for everyone. 👏🇪🇸

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/27/spain-decree-regularise-undocumented-migrants

Spain approves decree to regularise half a million undocumented migrants

Move affecting those who have been in Spain five months or more runs counter to anti-migration policies across Europe

The Guardian
Show threadBen ScholtysikJun 11, 2025
@marinaaisa Strongly considering Spain as a candidate for my plan B TBH. *sigh*
Show threadkira for scaleJun 11, 2025
@marinaaisa oo wow.. might have to look harder at spain. any clue if they offer tuition free education for foreign students like some other countries do?
Show threadMarina AísaJun 11, 2025

@kirakira I studied in public school and high school in Spain (which are totally free and good) but I left to Finland for my university.

Finland used to be free for international students (also for non-EU students), now it's only free for EU students.

About Spain, I know that public universities are much better than the private ones but they aren't totally free. Undergraduate degree costs 2k€ per year which it's not too expensive. Although most of the degrees are taught in Spanish or Catalan (if you study in Barcelona)

Master degrees are more expensive and private universities with master degrees in English can be very expensive, for example ESADE or IE offer MBAs for 100k€/year 😮‍💨

What do you want to study? I can help you find the right info!

Show threadkira for scaleJun 11, 2025

@marinaaisa ah jeez, and finland was high on my list too..

I'd like to finish my BS in computer science, the short(ish) story is that I'm 31 (so none of those age-capped foreign student programs apply) and I'm on something of a redemption arc to do what I wanted to do the first time. Being able to afford Europe at any level is ~challenging~ so I'm looking for where I could feasibly exist (transgender etc) and have the lowest bar to clear financially. so, tough situation! On the other hand, a student visa is the most likely way I'm going to get into the EU at all (much easier to get into a school than to find a work/visa situation at my experience level) so I'm fairly motivated to work that out

Show threadMarina AísaJun 11, 2025

@kirakira the student path is not as easy as it used to be…

Have you considered other options like the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa? You would need to be self-employed and work with clients outside Spain but it seems way easier than studying in Europe, plus you could self-maintain yourself.

https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/londres/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Digital-Nomad-Visa.aspx

If you currently live in the US, it’s fairly easy to get tech contracting jobs from there and relocate to Spain with this visa. (Many Americans are actually doing this)

Digital Nomad Visa

Show threadMarina AísaJun 11, 2025

@kirakira also if you have Spanish grandparents, you could apply for citizenship under the “Law of Democratic Memory” even if you don’t know Spanish or never been to Spain.

Deadline is October 2025 (after then, this fast-track way to get the Spanish passport will be closed) https://echeverriaabogados.com/en/blog/spanish-citizenship/grandchildrens-law-it-s-not-as-hard-as-you-think

Grandchildren's Law: it's not as hard as you think

The new Law of Democratic Memory will expand the cases under which Spanish citizenship can be requested. We show you that the process to do so is simpler than it seems.

Echeverria Abogados
Show threadpaulocesarJun 11, 2025

@marinaaisa ohh, I’m super curious about the European commenters on that video

I used to love living here, but I’ve seen so much xenophobia from seemingly normal people on the internet

Show threadKat O’BrienMay 22, 2025
@marinaaisa bravo España!!
Show threadMarina AísaMay 22, 2025
@obrien_kat buenas noticias! 😊