Almost 1.2 million undocumented foreigners rushed to apply for legal status to stay in Spain before a mass regularisation programme closed at the end of June.
The Socialist government’s scheme, launched in April, comes as its European neighbours toughen measures against irregular immigration in response to pressure from far-right parties.
Latin America accounted for 67 per cent of the submissions, with African nationalities following with 22.9 per cent.
An overwhelming majority of applicants were young, with 8 out of 10 younger than 45, while 57 per cent of the total were men.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has touted the benefits of immigration saying foreigners are needed to sustain the economy and Spain’s ageing population.
