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Bangladesh as well, including police clearance, he said.

According to foreign ministry officials, an estimated 75,000 Bangladeshis, including 15,000 undocumented, live in the South European country that now has a liberal government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Under the amnesty programme, those who meet certain conditions will be able to seek a one-year residency and work permit, reports Al Jazeera.

Migration Minister Elma Saiz said migrants can apply online from April 16 and in person starting April 20. The application window will close on June 30.

The applicants applying for the amnesty must have arrived in Spain before January 1 and must prove that they have been living in the country for at least five months and have no criminal record.

After a year, those granted the temporary measure will be eligible to apply for other work or residency permits.

PM Sánchez, who is seeking to leverage immigration to help avert the problems of Spain’s ageing society on the horizon, labelled the move “an act of justice and a necessity”.

The government estimates that half a million people living in the shadows of Spanish society could be eligible. Analysts suggest that the figure is likely to be higher.

Sánchez deemed the move a “necessity”, warning that “without new people working and contributing… prosperity slows”.

“It is thanks to the dynamism of migrants that the Spanish economy is currently the fastest growing in Europe,” he insisted.

Spain’s population has risen sharply to around 50 million in recent years, and today, around 10 million of its residents were born outside the country, or one in every five people.

Bangladeshi migrants have expressed gratitude to the Spanish Prime Minister, saying this is a humane and brave decision.