A battle for regularisation
In the early hours of the day, the streets of Madrid become the scene of a silent yet intense struggle. Thousands of immigrants gather outside municipal offices, seeking to obtain the coveted vulnerability certificate, an essential document for regularising their situation in Spain. However, this process is not simple and requires significant sacrifices.
At the crack of dawn, a growing group of people crowds around a bench on the pavement. An applicant, who has taken on the role of group leader, takes note of names and assigns numbers to those wishing to access the centre the following day. This improvised system has emerged in response to high demand and limits imposed by local authorities. On a recent day, 51 people were already registered before ten in the morning, while the centre can only handle between 80 and 100 applications daily.
Long waits are part of the process. Manuela, a 26-year-old Colombian, spent over 24 hours waiting to submit her application. “If you don’t stay here all day, you lose your turn,” she warns with resignation. The high demand for this certificate has led many to spend entire nights on the street to secure their access to the procedure.
Naydellin, a Peruvian who has visited several municipal offices in search of the same goal, shares her frustration: “I’ve tried in three different places; here it seems more accessible, although it’s still complicated.” Despite the lost time and the informal jobs many take on to survive, Naydellin is willing to wait because she knows this process could change her life.
Óscar, a Honduran who coordinates the list that day after arriving in Madrid recently, explains how this dynamic works: “If you sign up, you have to be here all night; we check the list at midnight.” This system has generated occasional tensions among applicants and even isolated attempts to profit from the organisation.
Despite the physical and emotional suffering involved in spending nights exposed to the elements under adverse conditions, many consider the effort worthwhile. A young Paraguayan sums up this experience: “I’ve endured a lot of cold and pain over three nights sleeping here; but I’ve finally been able to apply for my certificate.” Although she does not receive the document immediately —only a provisional stamp— each person knows that this step is crucial for achieving a more stable life.
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