In just three mornings, the entity has reached its processing capacity, strengthening its legal department to meet demand. This situation reflects the reality of municipalities like Elche, where the decree aims to regularize half a million people nationwide, marking the seventh regularization during the State's democratic era.
Despite the 700 cases that Elche Acoge is already managing, coordinator Trini Urbán indicates that they will continue to offer initial consultations, although they cannot process more cases for now. These figures highlight the need of migrants who live in a certain clandestinity. The entity has two lawyers and has added another, with all multidisciplinary staff also dedicating themselves to this procedure.
“"We are talking about translators or mediators, among others, without ceasing to carry out our daily advisory tasks in other areas of daily life."
Urbán emphasizes that this work is carried out by conviction and free of charge. Elche Acoge is the only entity in the city and region accredited by the Ministry to directly process these regularizations.
The requirements from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration state that regularization is for people in Spain since before January 1, 2026, with five months of continuous presence, a complete passport, and a certificate of no criminal record in the last five years. Historical registration and, in specific cases, a vulnerability report are also required. The deadline for submitting documentation is June 30 of this year, a period that Urbán considers very short.
The expert immigration lawyer at Elche Acoge, Zurab Oganesyan, explains that the decree was published in the BOE this Wednesday and can be processed online or by appointment starting this Thursday. If the requirements are met, the Government will grant a provisional permit, which will be retroactive to the start date of the file once regularization is resolved. Documentation can be submitted online, at Post Offices, Social Security offices, and Immigration offices in the afternoon.
The regularization, limited to one year, guarantees employment or rental contracts, and access to universal healthcare. The right to vote is limited to local elections in very specific cases. Oganesyan warns of the complexity of the process, especially for obtaining documents like criminal records from countries not signatory to the Hague Convention, which could prevent many people from gathering documentation in time before June 30, 2026.
The coordinator of Elche Acoge stresses that this decree is an exceptional mechanism for people already irregular before 2026, and will not create a pull factor, debunking hoaxes. She reminds that these people's situation is an administrative irregularity, not illegality, and that regularization will allow them to emerge from clandestinity and avoid labor exploitation, facilitating contract signing in sectors with labor shortages.
Urbán has criticized the statements of President Juanfran Pére Llorca about appealing the decree, stating that regularizing these people's situation will alleviate Social Services and reduce welfare pressure. The entity is in talks with administrations, including the City Council, which is unprepared for the situation, as the time to deliver vulnerability reports exceeds the regularization deadline. Elche Acoge cannot process these reports but can accompany foreigners through the process.
Once the year of regularization ends, the next step is to apply for the Immigration Law, which usually entails a two-year legal limbo, according to Trini Urbán. Afterward, permits can be renewed for 2, 3, or 5 years, depending on each case.
Previous regularizations in Spain include three under Felipe González (173,000), two under José María Aznar (403,000), and one under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (576,000). The current Government estimates a potential regularization of 500,000 people.
