The Moroccan Consulate in Tarragona has brought in three new staff members to handle a surge in documentation requests from migrants seeking to use Spain's extraordinary regularisation process. Since last week, the consulate has seen a notable rise in applications, particularly for criminal record certificates and renewals of Moroccan identity documents and passports.
This office serves the Tarragona and Lleida regions, as well as Aragon, providing services to approximately 160,000 people. Residents from other areas can also use its services. Consul Ikram Chahine stated, "These are people who already live their lives here and will be able to start contributing to social security; it's good for everyone."
Last week, at the start of the regularisation process, queues formed outside the consulate. However, these have since dispersed. Chahine told ACN that many people are now going to municipal social services to get vulnerability certificates, which are also required. Despite this, she believes their workload will not decrease. "They might need more things, such as consular certificates of concordance, because sometimes birthplaces do not match across different documents, for example," she explained. The Tarragona office employs 24 people, which Chahine described as a "medium-sized consulate" among those in Spain.
Criminal Record Certificates in Demand
The most frequently requested document is the criminal record certificate, which is essential for the regularisation process. Moroccan residents must book an online appointment to apply for it. Once the request is made, the consulate sends the data to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, which issues the certificate. This document is then apostilled and sent via diplomatic pouch to the Tarragona offices. The entire process takes between seven and ten days, a "very short" timeframe according to Chahine, and costs the applicant €2.83.
Unlike Spain, which has a single criminal record certificate, Morocco has two: one from the courts, which lists convictions, and a police certificate. The Spanish government has specified that the police certificate is required for this regularisation process.
Chahine noted that this document was previously "requested very rarely." The high demand has led to changes in the system to make it more efficient. "We held a meeting in Madrid with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, senior directors, and ambassadors to see what solutions we could offer. It is an exceptional procedure for an exceptional period," Chahine said. While acknowledging the significant increase in applications, the consul did not provide specific figures.
Previously, because the document must include an apostille from the country of origin, migrants had to send their application to Morocco via courier. A friend or family member would then complete the process there and send it back to Spain. This method cost over €50, took more time, and involved greater uncertainty.
Opportunities and Warnings
Regarding the deadline for completing the process, 30 June, Chahine does not believe it is too short and is not concerned that people might be excluded due to administrative collapse. "We work with much shorter deadlines, but everything will depend on the flow of requests," she commented. She also recalled that similar past processes have seen extensions. "An extension is not ruled out now," she added.
In response to reports of scams and excessive fees charged by some lawyers assisting applicants, the Moroccan consul in Tarragona advised individuals to complete the process themselves where possible. If someone faces difficulties, she suggested that help from a specialised professional is a good option, though she was unaware of typical fees. Above all, she warned, "one must not fall into the hands of intermediaries."
Chahine welcomed the regularisation process. "These are people who already live a daily life here; and for them to do so with documents is safer than doing so without documentation," she stated. Once the process is complete, migrants will be able to access the labour market. Chahine highlighted that "for the past four or five years, the Moroccan community has been the leading foreign community in social security contributions." She asserted, "10% of Spanish GDP comes from immigrants; we are a community that contributes to social and cultural life."
