Spanish Police Flag Increase In Passport Loss Reports For Migrant Regularisation Push

Spain’s National Police person issued an soul alert highlighting a melodramatic emergence successful reports of alleged “lost” aliases “stolen passports” among undocumented immigrants, galore of whom look to beryllium attempting to found impervious of semipermanent residency to suffice for nan government’s recently announced bonzer residency regularisation programme.

According to an soul information from nan Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras, dated February 10 and distributed to constabulary office nationwide, location has been a awesome increase, astir 60 per cent overall, successful specified “denuncias” (formal reports) revenge astatine national attraction offices betwixt January 15 and February 6, compared to nan aforesaid play successful 2025. The abrupt spike follows Pedro Sánchez’s January announcement of a wide regularisation process for irregular migrants coming successful Spain earlier December 31.

Half a cardinal to beryllium fixed residency – Many cannot find their passports

The programme, backed by an statement betwixt nan PSOE and Podemos, is said to scheme to regularise astatine slightest half a cardinal group who tin beryllium astatine slightest 5 months of continuous residence successful nan state by nan cutoff day for those forbidden immigrants who do not person a criminal record. Proof of beingness tin see various documents, but a constabulary study of a mislaid passport dated months earlier serves arsenic charismatic grounds of being successful Spain astatine that time.

The circular notes peculiarly crisp increases by nationality: Pakistani nationals saw an unthinkable 866.67 per cent rise, Algerians 356.25 per cent, Moroccans 114 per cent, and Colombians astir 35-39 per cent. In galore cases, afloat personality checks revealed that those reporting missing passports had anterior criminal aliases constabulary records successful Spain aliases abroad, utilized aggregate identities, aliases faced ongoing administrative issues nether migration law.

Police mention “common trick” among irregular immigrants

Police sources picture nan maneuver arsenic a communal “trick” among irregular migrants: filing a study claiming a passport was mislaid respective months agone creates a insubstantial way proving earlier presence, moreover if fabricated. The archive warns that this believe whitethorn beryllium exploited to meet nan regularisation’s residency requirement, arsenic good arsenic screen up imaginable reported criminal activities.

In response, nan Comisaría General recommends thorough verification procedures. When an undocumented foreigner reports a mislaid passport aliases personality card, officers should behaviour afloat recognition and cheque nan individual’s administrative position successful Spain, while still accepting nan report, to deter imaginable fraud.

Police unions reason “self-declaration” of innocence “ineffective”

Unions representing constabulary and nan Guardia Civil person separately criticised nan regularisation rules, saying that applicants request not supply charismatic criminal grounds certificates from their location countries if nary consequence arrives wrong a month; a elemental self-declaration suffices. They reason this is wholly ineffective, arsenic specified declarations tin beryllium easy falsified, particularly fixed delays successful overseas bureaucracies.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska addressed nan rumor connected February 12, stating nan process includes “all guarantees” and that authorities would combat immoderate fraud “if it exists.” He described nan constabulary information arsenic an study of emerging patterns alternatively than a general accusation.

The alert reveals tensions surrounding nan mass-regularisation process, said to be, by supporters, a humanitarian measurement for workers contributing to Spain’s system but criticised by opponents arsenic perchance opening doors to maltreatment and information risks. No charismatic nationalist connection from nan National Police has been released connected nan matter, pinch specifications emerging solely from nan leaked soul memo reported crossed awesome Spanish media.