Sánchez Rejects External Migration Centers as Spain Moves to Regularize 500,000 People

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed migration policy at a European Union summit in Brussels. During the meetings, Sánchez discussed the future of European cooperation on the issue.

The Prime Minister’s remarks come as a growing number of EU leaders explore more restrictive measures to curb irregular arrivals. Sánchez specifically rejected the proposal for “return hubs”—offshore processing centers located outside EU territory where migrants would be held while their asylum claims or deportation orders are processed. This model, recently championed by Italy through its agreement with Albania, has gained traction among several member states looking for “innovative ways” to handle migration.

The remains divided over the implementation of "return hubs" for irregular arrivals.

The Rejection of ‘Return Hubs’

The debate in Brussels highlighted a significant ideological divide within the bloc. While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the full implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and suggested exploring new methods to tackle irregular migration, Spain has remained firm in its opposition to offshoring. According to reported statements from the summit, Sánchez argued that such hubs do not address the root causes of migration and could create new legal and humanitarian complexities.

Instead of external processing centers, the Spanish government has emphasized the need for “circular migration” and legal pathways. This stance places Spain alongside countries like Germany in expressing skepticism toward the Italy-Albania model, which involves transporting rescued migrants to centers in a non-EU country for processing.

Spain’s Internal Regularisation Plan

While resisting the shift toward offshore hubs, Spain is moving forward with a major domestic policy to address its undocumented population. The Spanish parliament is currently processing an Iniciativa Legislativa Popular (ILP), a citizen-led legislative proposal that seeks to grant residency and work rights to approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants living in the country.

The plan is intended to transition workers from the informal “shadow” economy into the tax-paying labor force. Supporters of the measure argue it will bolster the social security system and provide essential labor for sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, and elder care. The Guardian has reported that the regularisation could significantly impact Spain’s demographic challenges by formalizing the status of a large segment of the existing population.

However, the policy has faced criticism from domestic opposition parties, including the People’s Party (PP) and Vox. These groups argue that a mass regularisation could act as a “pull factor,” encouraging more irregular migration toward Spanish shores, particularly the Canary Islands, which have seen a substantial increase in arrivals over the past year.

As the EU moves toward the 2026 deadline for implementing the Migration and Asylum Pact, the tension between Spain’s integration-focused model and the “return hub” proposals of other member states is expected to remain a central point of friction in European migration policy.

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