Madrid, June 30 (SANA)The Spanish government has received more than 1 million applications from undocumented migrants seeking legal status under a government regularization program launched in mid-April, with the application deadline ending on Tuesday.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the initiative reflects Spain’s commitment to protecting human rights while addressing the country’s economic and demographic challenges.

“We want the world to see Spain as a country that respects, protects and guarantees human rights,” Sánchez said, describing the program as beneficial to the economy while acknowledging the challenges of integrating newcomers.

He said immigration is vital to sustaining one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies as Spain faces an aging population, warning that the country could lose 19 percent of its gross domestic product by 2050 without immigration.

Under the program, Spanish authorities have three months to review the applications and decide whether to grant residence and work permits.

The initiative has positionedSpainapart from many European Union member states that have tightened migration policies in recent years. When the program was launched, the government estimated it would benefit about 500,000 people, most of them from Latin America.

The regularization program has become one of Sánchez’s flagship domestic policies as his minority government enters the final year of its term amid mounting political pressure over corruption and influence-peddling allegations involving members of his inner circle and his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).F.J./ABD