More than two-thirds of Spaniards are rejecting the mass amnesty plan for illegal migrants pushed by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the numbers are not even close. According to a SocioMétrica survey for El Español, 67.4 percent of voters oppose the scheme, while just 29.4 percent support it. That’s not a debate — that’s a landslide.
Last month, Sánchez’s left-wing coalition announced it would impose the amnesty by royal decree, conveniently bypassing parliament. The plan would grant residency to illegal migrants who can show they lack a criminal record and have been in Spain for at least five months. The government first estimated about 500,000 migrants would qualify, but other projections suggest the number could reach 850,000. Apparently, inflation isn’t just for groceries anymore.
Opposition is strongest among young Spaniards aged 17 to 35, with an astonishing 89.3 percent rejecting the plan. Support mainly comes from left-wing voters, including 70 percent of Sánchez’s own Socialist party supporters, 75 percent of the Sumar coalition partner, and 83.6 percent of the far-left Podemos. Shocking, really.
The survey also found that 69 percent of Spaniards fear the amnesty will act as a “pull factor,” attracting even more illegal migrants. Police sources have already warned that illegals in other EU countries could move to Spain to gain legal status and then spread freely across the Schengen zone. What could possibly go wrong?
Despite public outrage, the far-left has celebrated the plan. Podemos MEP Irene Montero openly bragged that the amnesty is an electoral strategy meant to “replace” conservative voters with foreigners. Meanwhile, Algerian-born MEP Tesh Sidi sparked backlash by responding to a post about migrant crime by saying it soon won’t matter because “they will all be Spanish.” Subtlety is clearly not part of the strategy.
But reality is starting to bite. Sánchez’s party just suffered major losses in the Aragón region’s local elections, a political bellwether. In contrast, the anti-mass-migration Vox doubled its results compared with 2023. The center-right People’s Party says immigration will be a central issue in the next general election.
PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo made his position clear, saying he will not hand out nationality or permits to everyone and accusing Sánchez of confusing “humanity with opportunism,” calling it “doubly immoral.” Even the European Commission has reportedly expressed concern, warning that the amnesty risks undermining efforts to deter illegal immigration.
Spaniards are sending a clear message: borders matter, laws matter, and democracy doesn’t mean sneaking radical policies in through the back door. As voters turn away from open-borders fantasies and toward common sense, Spain may yet prove that even in Europe, the public still believes in sovereignty and accountability — and that’s a hopeful sign for the future.
