Author
In practice there are no specific nationalities automatically considered to be presenting well-founded or unfounded applications.
Venezuela
In 2018, the Audiencia Nacional provided additional guidance on the legal status of Venezuelans in Spain. According to the judgments, the socio-politic and economic crisis in Venezuela entitles Venezuelan asylum seekers to a residence permit in Spain under humanitarian reasons.[1]
In 2025, out of a total of 57,125 first instance decisions on humanitarian grounds, 56,259 Venezuelans obtained a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, while no information is available on how many Venezuelans obtained any form of international protection at the time of writing, as Venezuela is not within the top 5 nationalities disaggregated in the available figures.[2
Lawyers have expressed deep concerns regarding the individual assessment of asylum claims lodged by Venezuelans, as some of them were granted a residence permit on humanitarian grounds despite being entitled to refugee status (e.g. in the case of political opponents). In addition, it appears that some applications for international protection have been rejected because asylum seekers have a police record (not a criminal record).[3]
In a decision taken in March 2021, the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) established that the general situation of crisis in Venezuela does not amount to an individual persecution or to a serious harm justifying the recognition of international protection. Instead, the Court established that the severe economic conditions of the country – affected by food shortages and high unemployment rates – justify granting a residence permit for humanitarian reasons.[4]
Syria
Another non-official practice of differential treatment concerned, until 2020, applications presented by Syrian nationals, who were in their vast majority granted subsidiary protection, and no case-by-case assessment was realised on the requirement to receive international protection. It should be noted, however, how this trend seemingly inverted in 2021, when 460 refugee statuses were recognised to Syrian nationals, compared to 265 cases in which subsidiary protection was recognised.[5] The same trend continued in 2022, when 1,019 Syrians were granted refugee status[6], which might be partly due to the fact that very few Syrian applicants’ cases were examined.
Following the ousting of Bashar Al Assad and the decision of some EU Member States to temporarily halt the resolution of asylum applications lodged by Syrians, the Spanish Government announced that no suspension would occur in Spain.[7]
Honduras and El Salvador
Another situation that can be highlighted is that of persons fleeing from gangs (Maras) in Central American countries, who were not granted international protection in previous years. In 2017 the Audiencia Nacional recognised subsidiary protection in different cases regarding asylum applicants from Honduras and El Salvador.[8] At the beginning of 2018, the Audiencia Nacional issued another important decision on the matter and revised its jurisprudence in relation to asylum applicants from Honduras.[9] In light of the 2016 UNHCR Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Honduras, the Court concluded that the situation in Honduras can be considered as an internal conflict and that the Honduran State is not able to protect the population from violence, extortion and threats carried out by the Mara Salvatrucha gang.
In different decisions adopted in July 2022, the Audiencia Nacional denied protection to asylum applicants from Honduras and El Salvador who fled their countries due to threats from the maras. The Court agreed with the criterion used by the Minister of Interior, considering that such threat is a matter of common criminality which does not amount to persecution, and recognising the efforts that the two countries are carrying out to fight against such violence.[10]
Only some applicants from Honduras and El Salvador with specific profiles (i.e. former police officers, former staff of law enforcement agencies, human rights defenders, LGTBQI+ individuals, gender-based violence victims) were granted protection.[11]
Colombia
In the last years, asylum seekers from Colombia frequently received a differential treatment due to nationality, as they were systematically denied asylum in light of the situation in the country – which was considered critical only due to the widespread criminality instead of acknowledging the presence of organised armed groups. In addition, in similar cases of persecution (i.e. for political grounds), Colombia’s applicants have received different outcomes (i.e. granting of international protection or denial).[12] Accem noticed improvements in the recognition of international protection to women victims of gender-based violence.[13]
In 2025, Colombia was the third nationality in both the number of applications lodged (14,524) and in receiving any form of international protection (1,329).[14]
Afghanistan
After the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, Spain started to evacuate Afghans who had worked with Spanish troops and aid workers. The plan (Operación Antígona), managed by the Ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defence, entailed their transfer from Kabul to Spain with different flights,[15] as well as their reception and granting of either refugee status or subsidiary protection.[16]
On the occasion of the 3-years anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover, CEAR called on the Spanish Government to foster the possibility for Afghans to apply for international protection at Spanish embassies and consulates in third countries, such as Pakistan.[17]
In October 2024, the political party PSOE reaffirmed its commitment in protecting human rights of Afghans nationals, especially women and girls, and in facilitating their access to asylum in Spanish embassies and consulates.[18] During the same month the Congress, following a request made by the PSOE, condemned the gender apartheid in Afghanistan.[19]
In November, the Senate approved a motion to urge the Government to initiate a process at the International Criminal Court to condemn the institutional violence against Afghan women.[20]
During the last months of 2024, the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) obliged different Spanish embassies to facilitate the transfer to Spain of Afghans (mainly women) fleeing from the Taliban regime.[21]
In occasion of the 2025 International Women’s Day, Amnesty International, while recognising the efforts made by Spain in hosting Afghan women fleeing the country, called on the Government to improve the asylum reception system in order to take into consideration also the specific challenges that Afghan women face (i.e. recognition of degrees, the scarcity of interpreters, etc.). According to the information released by the NGO, from January 2024 to February 2025 Spain has recognised refugee status to 418 Afghan women and subsidiary protection to 42.[22]
In May, at least seven Afghan women were left outside the national reception system, despite the Government having granted them humanitarian visas to reach Spain.[23]
In August, CEAR warned that thousands of Afghan women and girls are being obliged to come back to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan. It called on EU institutions and the national government in Spain to guarantee their protection. In particular, it called on Spain to ease the existing barriers of the family reunification procedure, as well as to create humanitarian corridors for them and resettlement opportunities, and to facilitate their transfer from the Spanish embassies and consulates by applying Article 38 of the asylum law.[24]
Similarly, the organisation Netwomening[25] reported to have been supporting Afghan women in Iran and Pakistan who applied for asylum at Spanish embassies in those two countries who had been waiting for an interview for four years. The organisation lodged a complaint at the Spanish Ombudsperson, who did not receive an answer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so far.[26]
In October, Madrid hosted the first ‘peoples’ tribunal’ to denounce gender persecution against Afghan women, where survivors, human rights defenders and international jurists presented evidence and testimony before a panel of independent experts at a special session of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal.[27]
Since mid-August 2021, a total of 4,224 Afghans reached Spain.[28]
Additional information on the initiatives and actions put in place for the protection of Afghan refugees can be found in the previous updates of this report (AIDA 2022 update, AIDA 2023 update and AIDA 2024 update).
Russia
Following the call to arms by the Russian President in November 2022, around 200 Russian draft evaders reached Spain to seek protection.[29] No information on the treatment of such cases is available at the time of writing. In any case, they would have the possibility to access the asylum procedure.
A group of around 70 Russian draft evaders who arrived in Spain in September 2024 denounced that, despite the Spanish Government has promised to fast-track their protection procedure, after months they had been denied the residence permits for humanitarian reasons and have been told to ask for international protection.[30]
Ukraine
Concerning the response to the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, see the Temporary Protection Annex to the report.
Palestine
Following an appeal by the World Health Organisation, the Spanish Government announced the creation of a special mechanism for the reception and health care of Gazan children affected by oncological pathologies or severe trauma resulting from the war, accompanied by their families or guardians. This is a coordinated action mechanism through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, in which several ministries participate: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Defence; the Ministry of Health; and the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The MISSM (Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration), through the Directorate General of Migration Management of the Secretariat of State for Migration, will manage the reception and psychosocial care of children and their families in Spain, a task that has been entrusted to Accem under the Cunina Project (“Psychosocial care for families with children in need of urgent health care from Gaza”). The main objective is to promote the welfare of children and their families in Spain, guaranteeing the coverage of basic needs and psychosocial accompaniment, facilitating the development and provision of relevant social care. Accem manages the provision of different services and actions for the children and their families: temporary shelter: accommodation, food and coverage of basic needs; comprehensive care: information and guidance, social accompaniment; psychological care; legal support; translation and interpretation services.
The project continued in 2025, under the name ‘Aman’.[31] Through this project, Accem offers psychosocial support to Gazan families, complementing the medical treatment received by sick children, who are treated in hospitals in Aragón, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, the Community of Madrid, the Basque Country, Murcia and Navarre, depending on their medical conditions. Beneficiaries are injured and sick children, including children that present traumas as a consequence of the Israeli attacks and others with various pathologies: oncology and haematology, congenital heart disease, neurology, nephrology, ophthalmology and gastrointestinal problems.[32] By the end of 2025, Accem assisted a total of 186 persons: 36 who arrived in April, 58 arrived at the end of July, and 92 transferred to Spain in October.[33]
At the end of July 2025, 13 children with their families arrived in Spain within such a project.[34] Since July 2024, the Government has evacuated and transferred to Spain 44 injured or sick Gazan children, together with around a hundred family members, as part of the commitment made by Spain to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to the extreme vulnerability of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.[35]
In August 2024, a group of 26 Palestinians applied for asylum at the Spanish Embassy in Cairo (Egypt).[36] In April 2025, Spain accepted their transfer to Spain.[37]
In October, the Spanish prime Minister called on EU member states to suspend the free trade agreement with Israel, due to its actions in Gaza and Lebanon.[38]
In December, the Platform of Jurists for Palestine submitted to the Spanish Congress a manifesto signed by more than 1,000 judges, lawyers and public prosecutors in which they call for the Spanish Government to adopt effective and concrete measures to stop its collusion with Israeli occupation.[39]
In February 2025, around 500 people who fled Gaza and the West Bank were present in the Spanish asylum and reception system.[40]
In March, false claims circulated on social media suggesting that individuals with ‘refugee from Gaza’ status would receive a monthly salary of €1,600 for 10 years. Some media outlets responded by debunking the misinformation and providing accurate details on the issue.[41]
In July, the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) opened an investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and several senior military officials, following the assault on the Freedom Flotilla ship Madleen on 9 June in international waters while it was heading to Gaza with humanitarian aid.[42]
In August, different judicial groups (Unión Progresista de Fiscales, Juezas y Jueces para la Democracia, Unión Progresista de Secretarios Judiciales and Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España) called the government to stop any commercial, scientific and diplomatic ties with Israel considering the genocide taking place in Gaza and the human rights violations affecting journalists and civilians seeking food.[43]
In September, the General-State Prosecutor announced to investigate the crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, pointing out the alleged commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.[44] In October, the Prosecutor’s Office included the interception of the flotilla in its investigation into Israel’s crimes in Gaza.[45]
In mid-September 2025, the asylum reception system accommodated almost 800 refugees from Gaza.[46]
During the same month, the government adopted a set of urgent measures against the genocide in Gaza and the support to Palestinian population. [47]
The Parliament of the Canary Islands called the government to guarantee Palestinians the same protection given to Ukrainians.[48]
On 6 October, CEAR scattered thousands of paper poppies in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a symbol of the tens of thousands of deaths caused by the massacre committed by the Israeli army against the population of Gaza.[49]
During the same month, the Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona launched a new crowdfunding campaign to support refugee students from Palestine. The initiative aims to provide them with legal assistance, academic support and training opportunities that will enable them to continue their studies in a safe and inclusive environment.[50]
Up to November 2025, almost 100 Gazans have requested to the Spanish embassy in Cairo (Egypt) to be transferred to Spain to apply for asylum, in light of what foreseen by Article 38 of the asylum law.[51]
Since 2023 and until December 2025, Spain has received 2,349 asylum applications lodged by Palestinians.[52]
According to the available information, Palestinians in Spain are granted international protection.[53]
Lebanon
Following the Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration launched a program to urgently assist families evacuated to Spain. Accem was the NGO in charge of assisting the 54 Spanish-Lebanese persons arrived in Spain at the beginning of October 2024.[54]
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
In July 2025, the Socialist parliamentary group presented a law proposal on the international protection of persons from the Democratic Republic of Congo, for its debate in the Committee on Labour, Social Economy, Inclusion, National Security and Migration, also with the aim of guaranteeing and reinforcing the access to and granting of international protection to persons fleeing from that country. The proposal underlines that women and girls are particularly vulnerable, often falling victim to gender-based violence and sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as exploitation and discrimination. The law proposal foresees, among other, to contribute to the creation of a safer environment for people seeking asylum, especially those coming from contexts of extreme violence, as is the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[55]
[1] Audiencia Nacional, Decisions SAN 2522/2018, 26 June 2018; SAN 4063/2018, 8 October 2018; SAN 4060/2018, 18 October 2018.
[2] Ministerio del Interior, Subsecretaría del Interior, Dirección General de Protección Internacional, ‘Avance de datos de protección internacional, aplicación del Reglamento de Dublín y reconocimiento del estatuto de apátrida. Datos provisionales acumulados entre el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2025’, January 2026, available here.
[3] Information provided by the legal services of Accem on February 2021.
[4] Tribunal Supremo, Decision 352/2021 (STS 1052/2021), 11 March 2021, available here.
[5] Eurostat, First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex. Annual aggregated data (rounded)[migr_asydcfsta], available here.
[6] Ministerio del Interior, Oficina de Asilo y Refugio (OAR); ‘Asilo en cifras 2022’, November 2023, available here.
[7] The Objective, ‘El Gobierno descarta suspender los trámites de asilo a ciudadanos sirios en España’, 10 December 2024, available here.
[8] Audiencia Nacional, Decision SAN 5110/2017, 22 November 2017; SAN 5189/2017, 22 November 2017; SAN 3930/2017, 14 September 2017.
[9] Audiencia Nacional, Decision SAN 508/2018, 9 February 2018.
[10] Heraldo, ‘La amenaza de las “maras” no es suficiente para lograr asilo en España’, 9 August 2022, available here; Audiencia Nacional. Sala de lo Contencioso, SAN 3412/2022, 13 July 2022, available here.
[11] Information confirmed by Accem’s legal service in March 2026.
[12] Information provided by the legal service of Accem in March 2026.
[13] Information provided by Accem’s legal service in April 2024 and confirmed in March 2026.
[14] Ministerio del Interior, Subsecretaría del Interior, Dirección General de Protección Internacional, ‘Avance de datos de protección internacional, aplicación del Reglamento de Dublín1 y reconocimiento del estatuto de apátrida Datos provisionales acumulados entre el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2025’, January 2026, available here.
[15] Newtral, ‘Un segundo avión procedente de Kabul trae a 110 afganos a España’, 20 August 2021, available here; El Diario, ‘Un tercer avión español con refugiados afganos llega este sábado a Madrid desde Kabul’, 21 August 2021, available here; Cadena Ser, ‘Aterriza en Torrejón un nuevo vuelo con 292 afganos evacuados por España’, 25 August 2021, available here; Cadena Ser, ‘Aterriza el avión con los últimos evacuados de Afganistán en la base de Torrejón de Ardoz’, 27 August 2021, available here.
[16] El País, ‘España prepara la evacuación de afganos que trabajaron para sus militares y cooperantes’, 11 August 2021, available here.
[17] CEAR, ‘Afganistán, tres años buscando refugio del “apartheid de género”’, 14 August 2024, available here.
[18] PSOE, ‘El Grupo Socialista reafirma su apoyo a las mujeres en Afganistán y se compromete a continuar trabajando para evitar que se vulneren sus derechos’, 6 October 2024, available here.
[19] PSOE, ‘El Congreso condena, a instancias del Grupo Socialista, el “apartheid de género” en Afganistán’, 29 October 2024, available here.
[20] Europa Press, ‘El Senado insta al Gobierno a impulsar un proceso en la Corte Penal Internacional por la represión a las mujeres afganas’, 7 November 2024, available here.
[21] El Confidencial Digital, ‘Mujeres afganas fuerzan en los tribunales poder viajar a España para huir de los talibán’, 31 December 2024, available here.
[22] Amnistía Internacional, ‘8M: Amnistía Internacional denuncia más de 80 restricciones a mujeres y niñas en Afganistán, y reclama que se reconozca el “apartheid de género” como crimen de derecho internacional’, 6 March 2025, available here.
[23 El País, ‘España deja fuera del sistema de acogida a afganas a quienes concedió un visado humanitario’, 9 May 2025, available here.
[24] CEAR, ‘CEAR alerta de que miles de mujeres y niñas afganas se están viendo forzadas a regresar al “infierno talibán”’, 13 August 2025, available here.
[25] Netwomening, available here.
[26] RTVE, ‘Las afganas en riesgo forzadas a volver al régimen de los talibanes: “El peligro es real. Nos vigilan”’, 17 August 2025, available here.
[27] Zan Time, ‘‘Good enough’: Afghan women seek justice at the people’s tribunal in Madrid’, 11 October 2025, available here; Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Madrid, ‘Madrid acoge el primer “tribunal” de denuncia sobre la persecución de género contra las mujeres afganas’, 30 September 2025, available here.
[28] Libertad Digital, ‘Más de 4.200 afganos se han refugiado en España desde la caída de Kabul’, 14 August 2025, available here.
[29] Cadena Ser, ‘Más de 200 desertores rusos llegan a España en busca de protección internacional’, 21 November 2022, available here.
[30] Onda Cero, ‘Refugiados invisibles: el limbo de los disidentes de Putin en España’, 5 April 2025, available here.
[31] Accem, ‘Accem acoge a un grupo de niños y niñas de Gaza gravemente enfermos que recibirán atención sanitaria en España’, 3 April 2025, available here.
[32] Red ODINA; ‘Accem participa en la quinta acogida a familias de la Franja de Gaza con menores enfermos y heridos’, 27 October 2025, available here.
[33] Red ODINA; ‘Accem participa en la quinta acogida a familias de la Franja de Gaza con menores enfermos y heridos’, 27 October 2025, available here.
[34] Europa Press, ‘El Gobierno prepara un avión para traer a 13 niños gazatíes enfermos, que serán tratados en España’, 30 July 2025, available here.
[35] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Gobierno de España culmina cuatro operaciones humanitarias de evacuación de menores gazatíes heridos o enfermos y sus familiares’, 12 August 2025, available here; COPE, ‘Así se acompaña a los niños gazatíes evacuados de la guerra’, 31 October 2025, available here.
[36] El País, ‘Un grupo de gazatíes solicita desde Egipto su traslado a España para poder pedir asilo’, 6 August 2024, available here.
[37] El País, ‘España acepta el traslado de varios gazatíes varados en Egipto para que puedan solicitar asilo’, 2 April 2025, available here.
[38] Middle East Monitor, ‘Spain, Ireland demand EU suspend free trade agreement with Israel’, 15 October 2024, available here.
[39] El Salto Diario, ‘Juristas por Palestina piden en el Congreso que España no sea cómplice de Israel con su pasividad’, 17 December 2024, available here.
[40] Europa Press, ‘España ya acoge a medio millar de personas que han huido de Gaza y Cisjordania’, 7 February 2025, available here.
[41] Newtral, ‘Los refugiados de Gaza no reciben una “paga” de 1.600 euros mensuales en España’, 11 March 2025, available here; Maldita, ‘Qué sabemos de la supuesta ayuda de 1.600 euros mensuales para un “refugiado de Gaza” durante diez años’, 13 march 2025, available here.
[42] El Salto Diario, ‘La Audiencia Nacional ve indicios de crímenes de guerra de Netanyahu en el asalto al barco humanitario Madleen’, 8 July 2025, available here.
[43] Demócrata, ‘Grupos judiciales progresistas exigen cortar lazos con Israel por abusos en Gaza’, 16 August 2025, available here.
[44] Europa Press, ‘La Fiscalía investigará los crímenes en Gaza y apunta a genocidio y otros delitos de lesa humanidad’, 18 September 2025, available here.
[45] El Diario, ‘The Prosecutor’s Office includes the interception of the flotilla in its investigation into Israel’s crimes in Gaza’, 2 October 2025, available here.
[46] Europa Press, ‘Cerca de 800 gazatíes se encuentran acogidos en el sistema español de protección internacional’, 14 September 2025, available here.
[47] Boletín Oficial del estado, ‘Real Decreto-ley 10/2025, de 23 de septiembre, por el que se adoptan medidas urgentes contra el genocidio en Gaza y de apoyo a la población palestina’, 24 September 2025, available here.
[48] El Día, ‘El Parlamento canario pide a España que proteja a los palestinos como hizo con los ucranianos’, 24 September 2025, available here.
[49] RTVE, ‘Miles de amapolas de papel, frente al Ministerio de Exteriores por los asesinados en Gaza’, 6 October 2025, available here.
[50] Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, ‘La UAB lanza una campaña para dar apoyo jurídico y académico a estudiantes refugiados de Palestina’, 8 October 2025, available here.
[51] El País, ‘Cerca de un centenar de gazatíes solicita desde Egipto su traslado a España para pedir asilo’, 24 November 2025, available here.
[52] Europa Press, ‘España ha recibido desde 2023 un total de 2.349 solicitudes de protección internacional de población palestina’, 24 December 2025, available here; La vanguardia, ‘España registró este año cinco veces más solicitudes de protección de palestinos que antes de la ofensiva israelí’, 15 December 2025, available here.
[53] Information provided by Accem’s legal service in March 2026.
[54] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Ministerio de Migraciones atenderá a más de 50 personas hispano-libanesas sin recursos, llegadas ayer a España desde Beirut’, 4 October 2024, available here; Accem, ‘Accem acoge a 54 personas evacuadas desde Líbano’, 4 October 2024, available here.
[55] Grupo parlamentario socialista, ‘A la mesa del Congreso de los Diputados’, 30 July 2025, available here.