Key Takeaways: Spain's foreign-born population has reached over 10 million, nearly doubling in a decade. The left-wing government is pushing forward with mass regularizations, while the right-wing Vox party gains ground advocating for strict deportations. This domestic clash has significant implications for the EU's Schengen border-free zone.
More than 10 million people living in Spain—one in five residents—were born abroad, according to new data from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE). This milestone highlights a profound demographic shift, with the foreign-born population nearly doubling over the last ten years.
In contrast, the native population has shrunk by over one million, a trend driven by low birth rates and emigration. This creates a stark picture of a nation being reshaped by international movement.
The largest immigrant groups are:
- Moroccans: 1.17 million
- Colombians: 980,000
- Venezuelans: 690,000
In 2025 alone, Spain welcomed nearly 335,000 new residents from these three nations. This sustained influx is at the heart of a growing political storm.
A Nation Divided on Immigration Policy
Against this backdrop, Spain's political landscape is fracturing. The right-wing Vox party has surged in popularity, from 2% in polls in 2018 to 18% today. It recently doubled its seats in key regional elections.
Vox's platform is unequivocal: it advocates for the deportation of all illegal immigrants and a drastic tightening of immigration and citizenship laws. The party has even promoted the concept of "remigration"—the return of legal immigrants deemed not integrated—and the "mass deportation" of over a million people recently granted legal status.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing coalition government is moving in the opposite direction. Last month, he announced plans to regularize more than half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain.
Sánchez defended the move in a New York Times op-ed, stating, "the West needs migrants" for its economies and that Spain has a "moral duty" to be a "welcoming and tolerant society."
EU and Schengen Zone Implications
The Spanish government's policy has drawn sharp criticism from EU officials in Brussels. Their core concern is that granting hundreds of thousands of people legal status effectively provides them with free movement rights across the Schengen Area.
This comes at a sensitive time when the EU is attempting to strengthen its external borders and manage migrant flows. Spain's unilateral action is seen by some as undermining collective European efforts, creating a potential backdoor into the border-free zone.
The ideological clash within Spain was further highlighted by MEP Irene Montero of the governing Podemos party. At a recent event, she stated, "I hope for 'replacement theory,' I hope we can sweep this country of fascists and racists with migrants." This controversial rhetoric has fueled the political fire.
A Contrasting European Approach
While Spain liberalizes, other European nations are exploring restrictive measures. Notably, the Swiss government announced it will hold a referendum on whether to cap the country's total population at 10 million, a proposal driven by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP).
The SVP argues a "population explosion" is driving up housing costs and straining public services. If the current population of 9.1 million approaches the cap, they support halting new arrivals, including asylum seekers.
This contrast underscores the lack of a unified European response to demographic change. Spain's path of integration and regularization stands in direct opposition to populist calls for caps and deportations seen elsewhere.
The outcome of this struggle in Spain will resonate far beyond its borders, testing the principles of solidarity, free movement, and border management that underpin the European project.