- The Ministry of Migration has reached thousands of people through courses and training sessions aimed at the staff of the Immigration Offices, as well as social, economic and third sector agents.
- Those responsible for the Legal Regime and Migration Management units have visited fifteen cities of nine Autonomous Communities to publicize the main novelties of Reloex, as well as to address and resolve the existing doubts
- The Secretary of State for Migration has collaborated with the Ministry of Territorial Policy in the incorporation of 750 people in the Spanish immigration offices; 55 have recently been incorporated in Madrid
- Employment, training and family are the three pillars on which the important improvements of Reloex are based. The law, thus, reduces deadlines and procedures, eliminates duplication, strengthens the rights of migrant workers and gives guarantees to companies.
The new Regulation on Foreigners (Reloex), approved on November 20, 2024, enters into force today. In these six months the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has carried out an intense campaign with the aim of forming and broadly informing of all the news and changes that the new Regulation introduces. This commitment has materialized in a complete training of the personnel of the Immigration Offices throughout the country, as well as a deep information campaign on the news of Reloex to social, economic and third sector agents, in addition to the citizens. The training and information campaign has reached thousands of people, especially all the groups involved in the application of the new regulation directly or indirectly. “During these months we have not stopped working intensively to have everything ready. We have thoroughly prepared our offices and provided specialized training. All the information, listening and accompaniment with which we have served thousands of people,” said Minister Elma Saiz.
Permeable and accessible information
The information on the novelties of the new Aliens Regulation has been developed under the premises of accessibility and permeability to the entire population. In this way, heads of the Legal Regime and Migration Management units have traveled through multiple points of the country to publicize the main novelties of Reloex, as well as to address and resolve the existing doubts. In total, legal specialists have given talks to date in 15 cities of nine Autonomous Communities (Galicia, Basque Country, Andalusia, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Castilla y León, Castilla La Mancha, Murcia and Madrid), in addition to participating in meetings organized by other bodies and institutions such as the General Council of Spanish Lawyers or the Ministry of Economy, among others.
The Ministry has also been the venue for various training and information days such as the one addressed to the Third Sector on April 1, which was attended by about one hundred people in person and more than a thousand via streaming.
The citizens, for their part, have also been able to access this information through different initiatives in open streaming for all interested audiences. This training will be extended and updated over the next few weeks both with entities and institutions and with the Immigration offices themselves.
Reinforcement of public employees
The Secretary of State for Migration, in addition, has collaborated with the Ministry of Territorial Policy in strengthening the staffing of the Spanish Immigration Offices with 250 new additions, to which another 500 people will be added during the month of June, contributing two million euros. The staff of these offices have received specific training in the new regulation with the aim of transiting in the most efficient way for all the changes that the rule entails. In addition, the heads of the Legal Regime and Migration Management units have given specific training to Work Abroad Advisors. These training sessions will be taught again during the month of June. In the offices of the Community of Madrid, 55 new workers were recently incorporated; offices are located on Calle Silva 19 (Metro Santo Saturday-Line 2 and Callao-Line 3 and 5) and in Leganés, on Calle San Nicasio 31, in Metro Sur Leganés Central Station.
New instructions
The State Secretariat for Migration has also intensified its efforts to ensure the uniform interpretation and application of the immigration regulations by the network of immigration offices, responding to the doubts about the regulation transmitted by the offices themselves, foreign citizens, lawyers, managers and trade union organizations during the six months since its approval. One of these instructions regulates the application of temporary residence permits by roots and its objective is to ensure a uniform, safe and understandable application of the new regulatory framework, facilitating the social and labor integration of foreign people with ties to Spain. It introduces clear criteria by type of roots (socio-labour, social, socio-training, second chance and family), specifies the general requirements and establishes specific conditions for access to the labour market or training.
It also incorporates flexibility measures for special cases, such as minors or people transiting between rooting models under the previous regulations. The other instruction develops the new regime of temporary residence specific to relatives of people with Spanish nationality. This measure resolves a historical situation of legal uncertainty and regulatory vacuum that affected thousands of mixed families, since they were not clearly protected either by the Community regime or by the general regime. The instruction complies with the doctrine of the ECJ and the Supreme Court, strengthening the right to family life, avoiding unnecessary separations and allowing, in many cases, immediate access to work. The concept of family (including extended family and caregivers) is expanded, administrative procedures are clarified and the protection of vulnerable situations is guaranteed. The Instructions have been discussed within the framework of the working group of the Tripartite Immigration Labor Commission (CLTI) with the trade union organizations and with the employers.
Training, employment and family, axes of the new regulation
The new regulation adapts to the current situation of the migratory phenomenon and to European legislation, in addition to taking into account the demands of the labour market, the needs of migrants and the demographic challenges of Spain. Employment, training and the family are the three pillars on which the important improvements of Reloex are based. The law thus reduces deadlines and procedures, eliminates duplication, strengthens the rights of migrant workers and provides guarantees to companies. “Our goal is to strengthen regular and safe migration. This regulation also allows us to clarify the routes of arrival and residence in Spain, guarantee the rights of migrants, but also their duties,” added Saiz. In addition, all initial authorizations are going to be one year with renewals of four. The job search visa is also extended, which will be for one year, instead of three months.
On the other hand, five rooting figures are established, creating the second chance rooting, which allows the regularization of people who have had a residence permit in the last two years and had not been renewed. Finally, the stay is modified by studies, allowing to work up to 30 hours a week, and family reunification is improved. “Today does not end a process, a commitment continues. Spain has a clear, modern and permanent regulation”, concluded Minister Saiz.