BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Spanish government will grant one-year residency and work permits to potentially 25,000 foreigners affected by the catastrophic flash floods that hit the eastern part of the country last October.
The extraordinary measure, approved by the Spanish cabinet on Tuesday, is aimed at facilitating paperwork for those living irregularly in the dozens of towns affected by the floods, mainly in the region of Valencia.
It is part of the government's recovery and reconstruction plan after the Oct. 29 disaster that killed 227 people and destroyed countless homes and businesses. The news was first reported by Spanish daily El País and confirmed by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration to The Associated Press.
Chaos that ensued after flooding caused by torrential rains left many immigrants unable to abide by the requirements for living, studying and working in Spain legally, according to the ministry. Similarly, many employers have been unable to comply with the bureaucracy required to hire foreign workers.
The new one-year permits will be given due to the “unexpected exceptional circumstances,” but can be denied if there are concerns over public order, security or health, according to the ministry.
Additionally, foreigners who lost relatives in the floods will be given five-year residency.
While governments across Europe are taking tougher stances against migration, Spain has been swimming against the current and hailing migrant workers' contributions as a key factor in its economic growth and job creation last year.
Foreigners currently represent some 15,9% of the country's registered active population, though many more work in the underground economy, picking fruits, cleaning homes or caring for the elderly. Facing a declining birth rate, Spain's government has said it needs more migrants working legally and contributing to its social security and pensions.
While Spain has closed several partnerships with African countries to stop irregular migration to its territory, it is passing measures to legalize the status of immigrants already living in the country without permission. The majority of those fly into Spain legally from Latin America and overstay their visas.
Follow AP coverage of migration at: https://apnews.com/hub/migration
FILE - A man walks past stacked up cars after floods in Catarroja that left hundreds dead or missing in the Valencia region in Spain, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz, file)
DENVER (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon had 23 and the injury-ravaged Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-104 on Sunday night.
Peyton Watson had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets. Over his team’s past seven games, the fourth-year guard has been averaging 23.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Zeke Nnaji added 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
Denver was without five of its top eight scorers, including Nikola Jokic (bone bruise in left knee) and Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle). The five sidelined players are averaging a combined 84.6 points per game this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Myles Turner scored 16 points while Bobby Portis and AJ Green added 14 apiece. Ryan Rollins was held to two points, snapping a career-best streak of 37 consecutive games with at least 10 points.
Denver had lost five of eight after a 22-8 start, including a 3-4 mark since Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, went down in a Dec. 29 loss at the Miami Heat.
The Bucks trailed by 15 in the first half and by 11 entering the fourth quarter before trimming their deficit to 105-102, but missed two game-tying 3-point attempts from Rollins and Green in the final 20 seconds. Gordon, the lone regular starter available for the Nuggets, made three free throws in the final 9 seconds to seal the victory.
Entering the night, Milwaukee had been 5-2 in its past seven games after starting the season 12-19.
Nuggets: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.
Bucks: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/nba
Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., right, passes the ball as Denver Nuggets center Zeke Nnaji defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks for direction from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson, front, fields a pass as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., right, tries to steal the ball form Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, left, looks to pass the ball as Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
