Do Criminal Records Prevent Migrants from Participating in Spain’s Regularization Program?

The recently launched collective regularization process for foreigners in Spain has raised questions about whether migrants with non-final criminal records can obtain legal residency.

Consulting immigration experts shows that Spanish laws clearly define the eligibility criteria for regularization, but they do not cover all the details regarding criminal records.

The royal decree governing the regularization program stipulates that applicants must not have a final conviction for any crime and must not pose a threat to public order, security, or public health.

Emilio Ramírez, Head of the Immigration Department in Spain, notes that any criminal record can potentially block residency approval, even if the sentence has not yet been finalized. This makes individual assessment of each case essential to ensure applicants meet legal requirements.

While inaccurate information circulates on social media and online platforms about bypassing these conditions, experts stress that the regularization program does not automatically exempt applicants with criminal records. Each application is thoroughly reviewed by Spanish authorities to ensure compliance with the law.

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