Musk's aerospace company SpaceX is developing the mammoth Starship - the world's largest and most powerful rocket - as part of his vision to take humans to Mars. Under Spain's new initiative, regularisation will be available to foreign nationals who do not have a criminal record, and who can prove they have lived in the country for at least five months prior to December 31, 2025. Sanchez argues immigrants are key to Spain's economy, which expanded 2.8 percent last year - more than twice the average expected in the entire eurozone. With Spain facing an ageing population and low birth rate, Sanchez says immigrants help sustain the workforce and maintain the pension system. Immigrants represent 'wealth, development and prosperity' for Spain, he said, pointing to their contribution to the country's social security system. The main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox have lashed out at the government, saying the regularisation will encourage more illegal immigration. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the PP, said the initiative would 'increase the pull effect and overwhelm our public services'. Pepa Millán, spokeswoman for Vox, said the plan 'attacks our identity', pledging that the party would appeal before the Supreme Court in an attempt to block it. The policy runs counter to an anti-immigrant wave that has caught on in larger European nations, and helped propel Donald Trump’s return to the White House. More than 3,000 people died trying to reach Spain by sea last year, according to a report by the NGO Caminando Frontera, including 192 women and 437 children. The figure is a significant drop from the 10,457 people who died in the attempt in 2024, potentially due to tighter border controls. There was an increase in the number of shipwrecks to 303, with about 70 boats having disappeared without leaving a trace. 'Today is a historic day,' said Elma Saiz, Spain's minister of inclusion, social security and migration, when the plan was announced this week. The measure will grant beneficiaries an initial one-year residence permit, which can subsequently be extended. Requests for legalisation are understood to begin in April and the process will remain open until the end of June. 'We are reinforcing a migratory model based on human rights, integration, co-existence and which is compatible with economic growth and social cohesion,' Saiz said. 'Providing rights is the answer to racism,' said Irene Montero, from the far-left Podemos party and a former minister in a coalition government with the Socialists. She had campaigned for the measure, which will be approved by royal decree, meaning it doesn't require parliamentary approval. With Spain facing an ageing population and low birth rate, Sanchez says immigrants help sustain the workforce and maintain the pension system The main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox have lashed out at the government, saying the regularisation will encourage more illegal immigration The measure will grant beneficiaries an initial one-year residence permit, which can subsequently be extended The number of undocumented migrants in Spain rose from 107,409 in 2017 to 837,938 in 2025 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his plan to welcome a half-million undocumented immigrants after the tech mogul joined the chorus of criticism on X Elon Musk concurred with an X user who was critical of the Spanish government's move