An internal Informe de la Policía Nacional reveals alarming figures: thousands of foreigners in Spain, many with prior criminal or police records, are reportedly falsely claiming lost passports to bypass the government’s new regularisation processes. The report is dated 10 February 2026, just two weeks after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans for an extraordinary regularisation of around half a million migrants.
Spain Press Editorial Team
Dramatic surge in passport loss reports
According to the police report, reports of lost passports have risen sharply in the first weeks of this year:
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Pakistanis: increase of 866.67%
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Algerians: increase of 356.25%
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Moroccans: increase of 114%
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Colombians: increase of 35%
The police warn that many of these reports are not credible, particularly because a significant portion of those affected already have prior criminal records or multiple identities.
Background of the regularisation
The increase coincides with the Spanish government’s plans to offer irregular migrants a pathway to legalisation. The proposed measure allows individuals without valid residence documents to verify their status through a sworn declaration regarding their situation in their home country, if that country does not respond within one month. The police see potential security gaps in this, as it complicates the verification of individual cases.
Official police report
The Informe de la Policía Nacional comes from the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras and was signed by Alfredo García Miravete, Head of the Central Operations Unit. It is addressed to:
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Senior Police Headquarters
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Territorial Operational Coordination Units
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Provincial and Local Immigration and Border Brigades
The police recommend carefully reviewing every report of a lost passport and fully verifying the administrative status of the person involved.
Security concerns and reactions
Officials warn that the combination of the regulation-driven simplification of legalisation and the false passport loss reports could pose security risks. Current EU rules actually require a case-by-case assessment, which should not rely solely on a single declaration.
The report highlights that the current developments significantly complicate the work of border and immigration authorities, and that controls and identity checks need to be tightened.
Challenges and outlook
The police report clearly highlights the challenges Spain is currently facing in the area of migration:
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Dramatic rise in false passport loss claims
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High proportion of individuals with criminal records or multiple identities
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Potential security risks associated with the planned regularisation
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Significant administrative burden for the authorities
In the coming weeks, it will become clear how the government and police respond to these developments and whether the planned regularisation can be implemented effectively, safely, and in full compliance with the law.
