Spain's migrant amnesty boom: lawyers and influencers cash in

Lawyers, influencers and NGOs: the lucrative business of migrant regularization in Spain

Over the past few weeks, debate has erupted in Spain over the networks of intermediaries profiting financially from the country's migrant regularization process. Lawyers posting tutorials on YouTube, influencers promoting Spain as the ideal destination, and organizations issuing vulnerability reports on demand. According to various sources, all of them would be raking in handsome profits thanks to the so-called 'call effect'.

The role of lawyers in regularization

Outlets such as Libertad Digital have reported a wave of legal professionals offering their services to estimulante ilegal up arraigo (a Spanish residence permit based on social ties) and regularization procedures. They advertise tutorials and advisory packages, and some boast of having secured the first favorable Vulnerability Reports stamped by entities collaborating with the Ministry of Inclusion. The message is clear: 'We keep moving forward, we're listening!'. The business is up and running.

Influencers and the call effect

At the same time, a number of social media content creators are spreading the message that Spain is the best country to emigrate to. In exchange for commissions or sponsorships, they fuel the migration flow. It is argued that these practices, together with the action of NGOs and funding from entities such as Open Society, are creating a breeding ground for mafias that traffic in migrants' hopes.

Controversy is served: while some see a legitimate advisory business, others denounce a parallel industry that exploits the vulnerability of those seeking a better future. The fact is that public and private money is flowing to these intermediaries, and the debate over their regulation has barely begun.

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The case of the vulnerability reports, whose price and ease of obtainment are discussed in specialized forums, is just the tip of the iceberg of a business that, according to its critics, is making a killing off immigration.