Spain’s plan to legalise up to 500,000 undocumented migrants has sparked a frenzy – sending hundreds camping outside consulates across the country.
At the Algerian consulate in Alicante, one of only three in Spain, migrants have been lining up for hours, braving sun and cold since the scheme was announced last week.
The office, which serves a vast area including Valencia, Murcia, and Andalucia, has seen demand skyrocket.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled the initiative on January 27, allowing undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to apply for legal status starting in April.
But with no appointment system in place, applicants in Alicante are required to queue in person for one of approximately 400 daily slots.
Police have cordoned off the surrounding street to manage crowds, while the government’s local sub-delegation is working with the consulate to ease pressure on public services.
Similar scenes are being reported elsewhere.
In the Canary Islands, where migratory pressure is high, the Moroccan consulate is handling the largest number of requests, while in Barcelona, the Algerian and Pakistani consulates are experiencing the highest demand.
Police and administrative services say they were unprepared for the scale of it.
The police union JUPOL said it had warned additional resources would be needed but that government support has been insufficient.
“This is what happens when you don’t listen to professionals before making far-reaching decisions that affect us all,” a union representative said.
The Independent and Public Service Union (CSIF) described the situation as ‘unprecedented,’ criticising the government for announcing the measure without a ‘shock plan’ of urgent measures, similar to those implemented during Spain’s last major regularisation in 2005.
The plan marks Spain’s first large-scale migrant regularisation in two decades.
Between 1986 and 2005, successive Socialist and People’s Party governments legalised the status of around half a million migrants through similar programmes.
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