The permanent collapse of the Immigration Office in the Balearics will worsen with the start of the extraordinary regularisation process of about half-a-million undocumented migrants which is scheduled to begin in approximately two months. And, Britons planning on getting their TIE card could be caught in the chaos which will lead to further delays in getting registered.
‘The collapse that is expected at the national level will be worse here in the Balearics,’ said CSIF union representative María Fernández in statements to Europa Press. According to the union representative, the upcoming start of the extraordinary regularisation process ‘looks pretty bad’ due to the permanent precarious situation facing the Immigration Office in the Balearic, which has a 50 per cent staff shortage and a Job List (RPT) that needs to be updated.
Fernández warned that, as of today, the Immigration Office has a staff of three civil servants who will be leaving in June after applying for a transfer. In addition, there are six temporary staff who, in principle, will only be there until May, although their contracts may be extended for a few months.
Even with new staff, the CSIF representative added, the difficulties will continue because the new personnel will need to be trained. ‘It is no longer attractive to come here or to stay,’ she insisted.
Fernández has urged the Central Services to tackle the problem and warned that in five years’ time ‘there will be a serious problem’. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, through the Secretary of State for Migration, has reminded the public that the deadline for submitting applications for the extraordinary regularisation of migrants is not yet open and has called for calm.
The Secretary of State for Migration has emphasised that, for the time being and until this Friday, the initial text is open to public consultation, which means that it is open to citizen participation for consultation and submission of contributions. Once this period has ended, the contributions deemed appropriate will be included and sent to various institutions for the submission of reports.
The report of the Council of State will be fundamental, as it will provide the maximum legal guarantees for this Royal Decree, the final draft of which will again be submitted to the Council of Ministers and finally published in the Official State Gazette (BOE). It will then be possible to submit applications, which is expected to be around the beginning of April.
Speaking to international media in Dubai, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez argued that the measure is both “a moral imperative and an economic necessity”, pointing out that immigrants already contribute roughly 10 % of GDP while accounting for barely 1 % of public-spending outlays.
Under the draft Royal Decree, any foreign national who can prove five months of continuous residence in Spain before 31 December 2025—and who has no serious criminal record—may apply between April and June 2026 for a one-year residence–work authorisation that can later be renewed for four years. Asylum-seekers whose cases were filed before the cut-off date are also eligible, as are dependent children.