The Spanish government is set to regularize foreigners impacted by Storm Dana, which devastated the region at the end of October, claiming 218 lives and affecting nearly 80 municipalities, primarily in the Valencian Community. This initiative will be approved on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers as part of a broader package aimed at easing the extension and issuance of residence and work permits for migrants residing or employed in the storm-stricken areas. The regularization plan includes one-year residence and work permits for the victims and their immediate family members, potentially benefiting approximately 25,000 individuals. Additionally, these measures could streamline administrative processes for the 98,000 non-EU foreigners already registered in these regions. The proposal to be adopted on Tuesday is reportedly more ambitious than initially anticipated. Although regularization was part of the measures considered before year-end, it was removed from earlier drafts due to legal disputes and opposition from certain ministries, particularly the Interior Ministry. However, following pressure from unions, a favorable opinion from the State Attorney General, and a visit by Pedro Sánchez to Valencia on January 23, the initiative gained momentum. Undocumented migrants will be eligible for a residence permit under «exceptional circumstances» if they have been domiciled or are in the process of registering in the affected areas since October 28. For the foreign families of deceased victims, the residence permit will be valid for five years. Simultaneously, automatic extensions of residence permits will be issued to students, volunteers, and long-term permit holders whose permits expire between July 2024 and April 2025. This measure aims to prevent migrants from becoming undocumented due to the storm's impact on their employment or housing. Priority will be given to processing the cases of workers who lost their jobs or were unable to commence planned employment due to the disaster, except in instances posing a threat to public order, security, or health. This regularization effort complements other ongoing initiatives. The new immigration regulation, adopted in November, introduces alternative pathways for regularization. Meanwhile, Parliament continues to debate a bill aimed at regularizing hundreds of thousands of individuals in irregular situations, though the proposal remains stalled amid opposition from the right and hesitations from the Socialist Party.
