Spain launches job matching for migrants under regularization plan

Spain is implementing a job-matching plan for migrants granted legal status under a new program designed to address labor shortages and bolster the country's economy. The initiative, announced earlier this year, aims to regularize hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers and connect them with formal employment.

Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela said the government has received a significant number of applications since the program launched. Officials have stated the state could handle up to one million applications, and many applicants have already received temporary work permits once their applications were accepted for processing. The government declined to confirm specific figures reported by other outlets.

The policy is driven by economic necessity. Official estimates indicate Spain needs approximately 2.4 million more people contributing to social security over the next decade to sustain its welfare state. A think tank estimates there are around 840,000 undocumented migrants, mainly from Latin America, working informally.

The job-matching strategy seeks to move thousands out of the shadow economy to fill labor gaps in key sectors such as construction,...