Spain’s newest drive to fast-track legal status for at least half a million undocumented migrants has already burdened immigration offices and sparked anxiety among prospective applicants weeks before the process even begins, a dozen union officials, lawyers, and migrants said.
A lack of information and state funding for the process could derail the planned mass amnesty announced by the Spanish government last month, said two people involved in the drive, which is the latest installment of the relatively inclusive migration policy credited with driving Spain’s economic boom in recent years.
The Spanish government has said the drive will run from early April through June but has provided few details on the application process or documentation required. The migration ministry said on its website in January that no additional budget or staffing had been earmarked for the expected surge in applications.