European leaders are increasingly adopting hardline language on immigration, pressured by far-right parties. But Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is breaking the trend. Last week, his socialist government announced a plan to give legal residence permits for one year to 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. "Some say we’ve gone too far, that we’re going against the current," Sánchez said in a social media video. "But I would like to ask you, when did recognising rights become something radical? When did empathy become something exceptional?" The conservative People’s Party warned this would attract more migrants and strain Spain’s public services, while the far-right Vox party accused Sánchez of trying to "accelerate the invasion" and "replace the Spanish population." Sánchez, who first rose to fame by welcoming rescued migrants refused by Italy and Malta in 2018, defends migration as key to Spain’s future. Speaking in parliament, he said Spain must choose between being "an open and prosperous country or a closed-off, poor country." He highlighted migration’s contribution to 25% of per capita GDP and 10% of social security revenues in Spain. The regularisation move comes amid challenges for Sánchez, including scandals and rising far-right support. Experts say it’s a strategy to strengthen his left-wing base and show clear differences from conservative rivals. Alongside his vocal criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and rejection of US defence pressures, Sánchez is among the few European leaders charting a different path on immigration. For many migrants and activists, the plan brings hope and rights. Campaigner Edith Espínola said the regularisation "gives you the opportunity to study, to be able to work with dignity and to be able to report when you’re being exploited without having to be scared about making a complaint."