The European Commission has strong concerns about Spain granting legal status to about 500,000 irregular migrants, according to Euronews.
Three EU officials told the broadcaster that they were worried the decision ran counter to current migrant policies within the bloc.
The matter will be debated in the European Parliament on Tuesday.
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The Spanish government move was announced in late January and takes in people who entered the country illegally before the end of last year.
To be eligible, undocumented foreigners must have been living in Spain for at least five months, or have asked for asylum before the end of 2025.
The new decree will provide beneficiaries with a one-year residence permit and the right to work in any sector everywhere in Spain.
The decision has now apparently raised eyebrows in Brussels.
“It is not in line with the European Union’s spirit on migration,” one of the EU officials told Euronews.
Another pointed out that a massive regularisation risks sending a different message compared to the one that the EU is currently communicating outside Europe to deter irregular migration.
One of the main concerns is the possibility that the regularised migrants would be able to travel across Europe for a maximum of 90 days every 180 days.
The worry is that this could result in some people trying to take up residence in other EU countries without permission.
The EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner will address the European Parliament on the issue on Tuesday afternoon, during a debate called ‘Spain’s large-scale regularisation policy and its impact on the Schengen Area and EU migration policy’.
Brunner ducked a direct answer to questions in January about Spain’s decision by stating that the issue is a ‘national responsibility’.
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