Last year, the Spanish government allocated over 1.8 billion euros from taxpayer funds to assist illegal immigrants, but only about 60 million euros went towards preventing their entry into the country.
Initially, the government set aside roughly 659 million euros for support programs aimed at illegal migrants and related expenses for 2025. Toward the end of 2024, they decided to increase this budget by as much as 979 million euros to address what they refer to as the “real needs” of migrants. A significant portion of this funding goes to organizations like the Spanish Commission for the Assistance of Refugees (CEAR), the Red Cross, Caritas, and other established NGOs.
According to data from Spain’s national budget for 2025, further budget extensions led to a total expenditure of more than 1.8 billion euros (around $2.1 billion or 1.5 billion pounds) from both the central government and autonomous communities. This amount covers payments to migrants arriving via smuggled boats, including unaccompanied minors and those seeking asylum due to political or religious persecution. However, this figure doesn’t capture the full extent of costs, as it doesn’t account for migrants who enter Spain as “tourists,” students, or those on temporary visas and then overstay. This kind of deception has been noted in various European countries for years.
In stark contrast, the government spent just 60 million euros (about $70 million) on curbing illegal immigration, and from that, about 20 million euros (around $23.4 million) was funded through the European Union Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), which means Madrid’s expenditures on border security are even less substantial.
Last year, Spain’s Interior Ministry only utilized around 20 million euros of its 60 million euros allocation to enhance border security. The bulk of the 1.8 billion euros directed toward assisting migrants post-arrival is widely distributed throughout the state.
For instance, the Ministry of Inclusion and Immigration invested about 1.1 billion euros to establish a humanitarian network for illegal migrants. This includes immediate care for those arriving by small boats and funding for detention centers, which reportedly have a combined capacity of 53,000 beds.
Interestingly, even branches of the Spanish state that seem unrelated are involved in this open borders policy. A state-owned company, created for rural development and conservation, ended up constructing a migrant camp for the government. They spent 96 million euros on food, security, maintenance, and cleaning services for migrants just last year.
In total, regional governments in Spain’s autonomous communities have spent over 600 million euros on illegal migrants. For example, the Canary Islands alone incurred 185 million euros in supporting unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers until they could be transferred to mainland Spain. Meanwhile, the Catalan government dedicated 115 million euros for migrant minors, and the Madrid government allocated 62 million euros.
Currently, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist government, Spain is estimated to host around 840,000 illegal immigrants, with foreign nationals representing about one-fifth of the total population. Recent studies reveal that Spain accounted for approximately one-third of the European Union’s growth in foreign-born residents in 2025.
The government is initiating a large-scale amnesty plan intended to grant legal residency, work permits, and other benefits to over 500,000 illegal immigrants, provided they meet a considerably relaxed set of criteria. However, this plan has faced widespread opposition from much of Spanish society and has already led to significant issues with social services across municipalities in Madrid.
