Spain launched a large-scale regularisation programme in April 2026, expected to grant legal status to more than 500,000 undocumented migrants, making it one of the most ambitious such efforts in recent European history. The move has drawn sharp criticism from some European politicians, including French conservative Bruno Retailleau, who called for Spain to be "banished from Europe," while supporters argue regularisation programmes are a routine and necessary feature of European migration policy. A new survey of Belgian adults found that, contrary to claims by some governments that their publics oppose legalisation, a majority favour regularising migrants who are employed or working in understaffed sectors — suggesting there is broader public appetite for such policies than political debates often reflect.