Immigrants race to gather paperwork as amnesty applications open

Immigrants in Spain faced long lines Thursday as they scrambled to gather the paperwork needed to apply for Spain’s fast-track immigration procedure as part of the government’s amnesty.

While online applications opened Thursday, many people were still not ready to apply.

Earlier this week Spain’s government finalised the measure it had announced earlier this year, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working without authorisation in the southern European nation to apply for legal status.

The approach sharply differs from much of Europe’s prevailing attitudes on immigration in which governments are trying to reduce the number of arrivals and step up deportations, and contrasts with the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies.

Those who meet certain conditions can now seek a one-year residency and work permit. Immigrants could apply in person starting April 20 and online on Thursday. The window will close on June 30.

Those who apply must have arrived in Spain before January 1 and prove that they have been living in the country for at least five months.

In Barcelona’s city hall, immigrants waited for hours to go in to get a document that certified they lived in the city. They also sought the validation of a vulnerability certificate, that in many cases will be needed to obtain legal status.

Mourad El-Shaky stood in line for four hours and left frustrated. The young man from Morocco says he was told the system was not working and given an appointment for May only.

Still, he remained hopeful that he will manage to get his paperwork in time for the June 30 deadline.

In Madrid, immigrants formed a long queue outside the office of the Madrid Regional Transport office where they were trying to prove the authenticity of their seasonal travel cards, another permitted proof of the length of their stay in the country.

Maria Esperanza from Peru said that she hoped that the protection given with the new "is supposed to be good for work, it will get us jobs with all the benefits."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has campaigned in favour of the process despite criticism from conservative political parties such as the Popular Party.

Sanchez met Thursday in Madrid with people who had benefited from previous governments processes.