Access to the territory and push backs

Spain

Country Report: Access to the territory and push backs Last updated: 30/04/25

Author

The sections below describe the numerous hurdles faced by migrants and asylum seekers in accessing Spanish territory and subsequently the asylum procedure. This includes incidents of push backs, collective expulsions, police violence (especially on the Moroccan side of the border), bilateral agreements with third countries to swiftly return persons back, and dangerous attempts by the concerned individuals to reach Spanish territory or cross over the border fences.

In December 2022, Ministers and high-level representatives of the partner countries and organisations of the Rabat Process met in Cádiz for the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (the so called ‘Rabat Process’) to adopt the Dialogue’s new multi-annual cooperation programme for the next five years (2023-2027). During the event, the Cadiz Action Plan was adopted: it addresses five action areas, including on regular migration and mobility, on asylum and protection of persons in need of international protection, and on prevention and effective reduction of irregular migration, fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.[2]

In a meeting held in April 2024, the five members (Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus) of the Mediterranean Alliance called on the EU to continue with ensuring its presence in the Sahel region, with the aim of fighting against, inter alia, organised crime. They also called on the EU to continue with agreements with the main origin and transit countries in Africa and the Middle east, as well as to look for a better cooperation in the context of returns, including voluntary returns.[3]

The political and social crisis in Senegal which led to riots and deaths in June 2023 produced an increase in the number of boats departing from the country to reach the Canary Islands.[4]

In June 2023, the ‘Minerva’ operation started in the Gibraltar Strait, concretely in the cities of Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta, with the aim of fighting against trafficking in persons and irregular migration. The operation was led by the Spanish National Police and coordinated by Frontex, involving police officers from 16 European countries, and lasted until the beginning of September.[5] In 2022, the operation led to 2,034 identifications in more than 1,900 interventions.

In January 2024, Frontex threatened to leave Spain, if the Government would not sign the agreement with the EU Agency. According to available information, it seems that Spain was resisting signing the agreement and the conditions set forth by Frontex, especially due to concerns regarding potential violations of migrants’ right to privacy in terms of data that should be shared with the EU Agency.[6] Despite these initial concerns, an agreement was signed at the end of the same month.[7]

A report published in the same month by the Centre Delàs and Irídia questioned the work and budget of Frontex since its creation, the human rights violations committed by the agency in different EU orders, and especially the lack of an independent monitoring of its activities.[8]

A report published jointly by ECRE and PICUM on the use of EU funding for border surveillance, indicated that Spain is among eight Member States that have planned to support the establishment or upgrade of border crossing points and surveillance infrastructure along their external borders. In addition, it highlighted that Spain has also foreseen to purchase vehicles for transporting people apprehended at the borders, as well as the acquisition of service dogs through BMVI funds.[9]

In July, the political party ‘Partido Popular’ suggested to the Government to deploy the army with the aim of stopping irregular migration.[10]

A report launched by EuroMed Rights in August 2024 on the digital technologies for migration control at the Spanish southern border underlined that, while there are new systems being implemented in these areas, the outcomes of the investigation reveal that the implementation of such technologies is costly and its full implementation slow.[11]

In October 2024, the Spanish Government asked Frontex to seek permission from West African countries for patrolling their seas, with the aim of stopping migrants wishing to reach the Canary Islands.[12]

In the same month, the Fundación porCausa published a report on the externalisation policy of migration both by the EU and Spain under the guise of European cooperation. The report highlighted that, since 2005, Spain has led and pivoted the measures of controlling and managing the externalisation of borders, exporting its model to the rest of the EU.[13]

In a report published in November 2024, Amnesty International denounced that in Spain the deprivation of liberty of migrants apprehended and found to be in an irregular situation is almost automatic, without respect for the provisions of EU and national law establishing that detention should only be used as a measure of last resort. According to the organisation, deprivation of liberty represents one of the main pillars of Spanish migration management policy through the detention in CIEs.[14]

During the last months of 2024, the Spanish migration route to the Canary Islands experienced a widening, due to the arrivals of migrants and refugees from Asia (mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, but also Syria and Afghanistan) with boats departing from Mauritania. This seems to be due to the tightening of borders by authorities in the Balkans and in the Mediterranean (i.e. Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey).[15]

Besides, the airport of Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands) become the main air entrance in the EU using forged passports.[16] In addition, during just four days at the beginning of November, more than 700 migrants were rescued off the Balearic Islands. The regional authorities expressed the challenges they face in accommodating and urged the central government to amend laws in order to allow more transfers to other regions in Spain.[17]

In 2024, El Hierro, a small island part of the Canary Islands archipelago, became one of the main migration frontlines in Europe.[18] In addition, the Canary Islands registered the highest number of annual arrivals in history, with46,843 arrivals between 1 of January and 31 December of 2024.[19]

In addition, the arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers from Latin America countries (especially from Venezuela) also continued to increase. Their arrival has been registered also in the Canary Islands, particularly of people coming from Venezuela, due to the presence of a large community of Venezuelans in the archipelago.[20]

In January 2025, 21 people from Pakistan were identified among the survivors of a boat shipwrecked off the Canary Islands. According to investigations, it seems that a “new Asian route” to Europe might be emerging.[21]

In the same month, a boat with 19 bodies was found off the costs of St. Kitts and Nevis (in the Caribbean). The authorities believed that the vessel originated off the West African coast with migrants on board.[22]

According to the information released by the Moroccan Minister of Interior, Morocco stopped almost 80,000 attempts of migrants to reach the EU.[23]

In connection with the situation of poor living conditions and overcrowding at the ad hoc spaces for asylum seekers at the Madrid Barajas Airport (for more information, see ‘Conditions in border facilities’), in February 2024 the National Police dismantled a smuggling network which facilitated the entrance to Spain of migrants from Senegal who had to impersonate minors and to apply for asylum at the airport.[24]

 

  • Arrivals in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla

The number of persons arriving in Ceuta and Melilla by land in 2024 was 2,647, marking an increase compared to 2023, when 1,234 persons entered the enclaves. In addition, a total of 49 people arrived by sea to the enclaves, with 21 reaching Melilla (representing an 89.8% decrease compared to 2023), and 28 Ceuta (a 58.2% decrease compared to the previous year).[25]

Arrivals in Spain by land: 2024
Point of entry Number of irregular arrivals
Ceuta 2,531
Melilla   116
Total arrivals by land 2,647
Arrivals in Spain by sea: 2024
Point of entry Number of irregular arrivals
Ceuta 28
Melilla 21
Total arrivals by sea 49

 

Source: Ministerio del Interior, ‘Inmigración irregular 2024. Datos acumulados del 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre’, January 2025, available here.

In recent years, the main obstacles regarding access to the Spanish territory have been faced at the Ceuta and Melilla borders and checkpoints. These obstacles are mainly due to the impossibility for asylum seekers to cross the border and exit Morocco. There are several reported cases concerning refusal of entry, refoulement, collective expulsions and push backs, including incidents involving hundreds of people throughout, that continued throughout 2024. In its 2024 annual report on human rights at Southern borders, the Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos de Andalucía (APDHA) reported the continued problem of pushbacks at the borders in Ceuta and Melilla.[26]

One of the ways used by migrants and asylum seekers to enter the territory is the attempt to climb border fences in groups. The increasing number of attempts to jump border fences is linked to the fact that migrants and asylum seekers, and especially Sub-Saharan nationals, still face significant obstacles in accessing the asylum procedure at Spanish borders, as a result of border controls exercised by the Moroccan police on the Moroccan side of the border.[27] This can be illustrated when looking at data provided by the Government on asylum claims lodged at the border, which indicates that no asylum application was made at Ceuta’s border crossing, and that persons from sub-Saharan countries are underrepresented among the nationalities of asylum seekers at Melilla’s border (see section on Access to the Territory).

In August 2024, the Guardia Civil prevented the entrance to Melilla of a group of migrants who tried to enter the city with a recreational boat. Two days before, eleven migrants had reached the city through the same mean.[28]

Following the renovations at the Ceuta and Melilla fences which started in 2019 to remove the steel wire, different organisations have reported that the height of the fences was increased by 30%, thus further increasing the risk for life and safety for those attempting the jump, and the breaching of human rights standards.[29] In August 2020 the Government announced an enlargement of the asylum post at the Melilla border with a budget of €138,000,[30] and of the asylum post in Ceuta with a budget of €125,000, despite the fact that the latter has never been used since it was opened.[31] Research carried out by the newspaper Público and the Fundación por Causa denounced the shadow industry of migration control in Spain, referring to more than € 660 million in 5 years, and 1,677 public contracts signed without public tenders.[32] In July 2022, the Council of Ministers approved the plan to carry out additional renovations to the borderline fence in Ceuta, allocating a budget of EUR 4 million. Such renovations are part of the Plan to reinforce and modernize the land border protection system in Ceuta and Melilla, which started in 2019.[33] The refurbishments of the fences in Ceuta and Melilla were finalised in March 2024.[34]

Similarly to the previous update of the report, which provided a list of incidents at the border in 2023, the following list provides an overview of several incidents that were reported at the border in 2024 and at the beginning of 2025:

  • In December 2022, a Sudanese young man who was pushed back to Morocco on 24 June 2022 applied for asylum at the Spanish Embassy in Rabat, with the aim of challenging the declarations of the Minister of Interior regarding the possibility to apply for asylum at the Spanish Embassies and Consulates, as well as at the Spanish land borders of Ceuta and Melilla without jumping the fences.[35] In March 2023, his asylum interview was held at the Spanish embassy in Rabat (Morocco).[36] In occasion of the one-year anniversary of the jump and the deaths of 24 June 2022, he wrote a letter to the President of the Spanish Government to complain about the lack of a decision on his asylum application after six months since it was lodged.[37] In December 2023, in the absence of a decision by the Spanish Government on his asylum application after 1 year from its lodging, the asylum applicant lodged an appeal to the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) to ask for a precautionary measure urging his transfer to Spain.[38] In December 2023, the applicant lodged a claim for precautionary measures at the National Court (Audiencia Nacional), that ruled in favour of his transfer to Spain.[39] In April, his lawyers denounced that the administration had not yet complied with this judicial decision, and the transfer had not yet been realised.[40] He was finally admitted to Spain in May 2024.[41]
  • At the beginning of January 2024, Morocco claimed to have intercepted around 1,100 migrants in different towns close to the Spanish borders and prevented their entrance to Ceuta and Melilla.[42]
  • At the beginning of August, around 200 persons tried to enter Ceuta by sea, reaching the shores swimming.[43] At the end of the same month, 1,500 persons tried to do the same.[44]
  • During the same month, the Moroccan Human Rights Association (Asociación Marroquí de Derechos Humanos – AMDH) based in Nador (Morocco) denounced that the Guardia Civil had killed a migrant while trying to attempt a small boat carrying 4 people to enter Melilla.[45]
  • In September, the Moroccan authorities detained at least 60 persons for planning a group illegal entry to Spain.[46] During the same month, an eight-month pregnant woman reached Ceuta after swimming for two hours from the Moroccan coast.[47]
  • In October, the competent judge suspended the hearing of a Malian migrant who denounced the Guardia Civil for losing the eyesight during the jump of the fence in Melilla in October 2022.[48]
  • At the end of November, 44 migrants reached Ceuta by swimming, despite the bad weather conditions. 35 of them were minors.[49]
  • In March 2025, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia (Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía) ruled on a case that was considered a pushback. The case regarded man who was trying to reach the coast of Ceuta by swimming in March 2023, while the Guardia Civil’s boat intercepted him. The officers took him on board and transferred him to Ceuta, where he was attended by the Red Cross. Immediately afterwards, the Guardia Civil brought the migrant to the Tarajal border and handed him over to the Moroccan authorities. A year later, the Contentious Administrative Court of Ceuta declared this action illegal, and the High Court of Justice of Andalusia confirmed the decision.[50]

The above incidents illustrate how migrants and asylum seekers continue resorting to dangerous ways to enter Ceuta and Melilla, sometimes resulting in their deaths. Further incidents at the border are likely to occur in 2025.

 

The persisting problem of pushbacks (devoluciones en caliente)

The situation at borders and regarding access to territory has gradually worsened since March 2015, after the Spanish government adopted an amendment to the Immigration Law, introducing the possibility to “reject at borders” third-country nationals found crossing the border illegally.

The amendment, introduced through the adoption of the Law “on the protection of citizen security”,[51] includes a specific regulation within the Immigration Law concerning the “Special regime of Ceuta and Melilla”. This regime consists of three elements:

  • It rules that “those foreigners who are detected at Ceuta’s and Melilla’s border lines when trying to pass the border’s contentious elements to irregularly cross the border, can be rejected to avoid their illegal entry in Spain”;
  • It declares that “these rejections will be realised respecting the international law on human rights and international protection ratified by Spain”;
  • Lastly, it states that “international protection claims will be formalised at the ad hoc border point in line with international protection obligations.”

In practice, when a person is found within Spanish border territory, which includes the land between the Moroccan and Spanish border, they are taken outside the Spanish border through existing passages and doors controlled by border guards.

The amendment aimed at legalising the push backs (devoluciones en caliente) practiced in Ceuta and Melilla and has been criticised for ignoring human rights and international law obligations towards asylum seekers and refugees by several European and international organisations such as UNHCR,[52] the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,[53] and the United Nations Committee against Torture. Critics underline that people are not able to request asylum, and that the law mostly affects groups in vulnerable situation, including unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking.

These circumstances made Spain one of the European countries with the highest numbers of refusal of entry at the border between 2017 and 2019.

In previous years, several cases have been brought to court to challenge the conduct of Spanish border control patrols and guards.

In October 2024, the Congress retook the debate on the reform of the Law on Citizen Security (the so-called Ley Mordaza), which was adopted in 2015 and provided, inter alia, for the modification of the Immigration Law, by allowing, in practice, collective expulsions at the borders of Ceuta and Melilla. The reform – agreed between PSOE, Sumar and Bildu – aims at recognising and guaranteeing the rights of migrants, at prohibiting collective explosions, and at processing asylum applications according to human rights legal provisions and to the international protection regulations.[55] After the agreement of all political parties – with the exclusion of  the Partido Popular and Vox -, the reform underwent the urgent legislative procedure.[56]

 

N.D and N.T v Spain

The case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concerned two Sub-Saharan men – from Mali and the Ivory Coast respectively – who alleged having been summarily and collectively expelled from Spanish territory on 13 August 2014 as part of a group of over 75 individuals. On 3 October 2017, the ECtHR held unanimously that there had been a violation of the prohibition of collective expulsions of the right to an effective remedy in conjunction with said prohibition under Article 4 Protocol 4 and Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).[57]

On 13 February 2020, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (GC) published its judgment in the case of N.D and N.T v Spain concerning the immediate return of the two men to Morocco after attempting to cross the border of the Melilla enclave,[58] overturning the 2017 judgment. The GC addressed whether the removal of the applicants amounted to an expulsion or ‘non-admission’ of entry.[59]

Moreover, the GC was not convinced that the State had failed to provide a genuine and effective access to means of legal entry, and concluded that the applicants had in fact placed themselves in jeopardy by participating in storming the border rather than using the existing procedures. In particular, the GC observed that the applicants could have applied for visas or for international protection at a border crossing point. It concluded that the applicants’ expulsions did not violate Article 4 Protocol 4.[60]

Furthermore, the GC found that the applicants placed themselves in an unlawful situation by deliberately attempting to enter Spain as part of a large group rather than using available legal procedures. The lack of available individual procedures to challenge the removal was therefore deemed a consequence of the applicant’s unlawful attempt to gain entry. The GC held there was no violation of Article 13 in conjunction with Article 4 Protocol 4.[61]

This GC’s decision has been heavily criticised by civil society organisations and other stakeholders, including the Progressist Union of Public Prosecutors,[62] who saw the case as a lost opportunity in condemning the Spanish authorities for their pushback practices at the border.[63]

In November 2022, Netflix launched the documentary ‘The Gourougou trial’ on the stories of two migrants from Africa, ND & NT, who in 2014 joined other 500 migrants to jump the fence in Melilla from Morocco to enter Spain, and that were pushed back.[64]

For further details on the case, see AIDA Country Report: Spain 2020 Update.

 

The Constitutional Court’s ruling of 19 November 2020

On 19 November 2020, the Spanish Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) endorsed the Organic Law on the protection of citizen security, which establishes a special regime for the rejection at the borders in Ceuta and Melilla.[65] After analysing the constitutional doctrine and the ECtHR’s jurisprudence, the Constitutional Court concluded that the law is in line with the Spanish Constitution. Regarding specifically the legal framework on Ceuta and Melilla, the Court concluded that the special regime foreseen is constitutional as in line with the ECtHR’s jurisprudence on the material execution of a rejection at the border. Nevertheless, the Court underlined the importance of judicial control and effective remedies to appeal a rejection at the border. In addition, the Court stated that a rejection decision at the border should be issued considering all the guarantees provided by national and international law, and that the procedure for allowing or refusing legal entry to Spain must be real and effective. The Court further held that law enforcement officials have to pay particular attention to vulnerable groups (i.e. children, pregnant women and elderly persons).

 

Other pushback cases and incidents

Pushback practices in Spain have been strongly condemned in the past. This includes a decision adopted on 12 February 2019 by the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the case D.D. vs Spain.[66]

In February 2014, 15 migrants drowned after attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by sea and were repelled with rubber bullets and smoke grenades by officers from the Guardia Civil. Since then, the so known “El Tarajal” case was decided and removed from the register in different occasions, until in June 2022 the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) rejected the cassation appeals lodged by different NGOs against the decision to remove the case from the register taken by the Provincial Court of Cádiz.[67] Previous updates of this report provide more details on the case. (See AIDA Country Report on Spain – 2021 and 2020 Updates). In June 2023, the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) admitted the appeal lodged by different NGOs against the removal of the case from the register decided by the High Court (Tribunal Supremo) and the Provincial Court of Cádiz.[68] In February 2024, a 25-year-old Cameroonian national filed a complaint at the UN against Spain, for multiple violations of the Convention against Torture which occurred during the incident.[69] In February 2025, a survivor who lost the eye vision during the incident filed a complaint against Spain at the UN Committee against Torture.[70]

Since the event in El Tarajal, each year many NGOs, groups of activists and other stakeholders join in Ceuta at the border, in order to commemorate the deaths and strive for justice.

In a decision issued in January 2024, the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) established that Spanish authorities should have made an individual assessment on the returns of the unaccompanied migrant children that were collectively pushed back to Morocco in August 2021.[71]

On the second anniversary of the death of 37 migrants and the disappearance of 77 persons caused by the response given by Spanish and Moroccan immigration authorities to a group of migrants jumping the fence in Melilla in June 2022, gatherings have been organised in different cities (i.e. Madrid, Valencia, Cádiz and Barcelona) to continue to call for accountability and justice for what occurred that day.[72]  Different organisations (Border Forensics, in collaboration with Irídia-Centre for the Defense of Human Rights and AMDH-Moroccan Association for Human Rights) launched a report providing a counter-investigation carried out on the incident, because despite the many images filmed by different stakeholders, there are still many grey areas concerning the developments of the events on that day. According to the authors of the report, the Spanish and Moroccan authorities are far away of fully shedding light on what occurred, and have instead prevented any independent investigation and access to some essential elements of the evidence. The authors concluded on the total impunity still existing after two years from the incident.[73]

Throughout 2024, and at the beginning of 2025, pushback practices continued to be reported.

In July, a young migrant who reached Ceuta by swimming was pushed back to Morocco by the Guardia Civil.[74]

In August 2024, the Government Delegate in Ceuta informed that, between 22 and 26 of August, the authorities had registered an average of 700 attempts per day to enter the enclave from Morocco, and that around 150-200 returns had been carried out daily.[75] Different organisations (i.e. No Name Kitchen, Solidary Wheels, Asociación Elín and EXMENAS) urged the authorities to end pushbacks and to respect the existing legislation, by making possible to obtain visas and ensure the possibility to apply for asylum in origin and transit countries.[76]

In September, the Administrative Court nº 2 of Ceuta ruled against the return of an Argelian migrant to Morocco carried out by Spanish authorities without any administrative procedure. The Court decided that the person can return to Spain, be assisted by a lawyer and an interpreter, with the aim both of applying for asylum or of undergoing the return administrative procedure.[77] A previous decision adopted by the same Court in January had already nullified the return to Morocco of a Moroccan migrant who arrived to Ceuta by sea.[78]

 

Bilateral agreements with third countries

Spain has signed different bilateral agreements with third countries such as Mauritania, Algeria, Senegal and Morocco. Some of these agreements are solely focused on returns, while others also aim at strengthening border management in partner countries.

Since 2019, Mauritania has become the main country to receive deportation flights from Spain (chartered by Frontex), inter alia due to the increase of arrivals to the Canary Islands. This is based on a bilateral agreement signed back in 2003.[79]

In February 2024, Spain and Mauritania, under the auspices of the EU, signed an agreement for 210 million Euros aimed at, among other objectives, fighting against irregular migration and smuggling.[80]

In December 2020, Algeria joined Morocco and Mauritania among the countries accepting returns of their nationals from Spain.[81] Thus, Algerian migrants were returned from Spanish CIEs.[82] In the same month, Spain increased the deportation of Moroccan migrants arriving to the Canary Islands.[83] In November 2020, Spain had also reached a similar agreement with Senegal.[84] Consequently, the Government announced in February 2021 that it would resume return flights to Senegal by the end of the month.[85] The agreement also foresaw the reinforcement of the Spanish monitoring mechanism in Senegal against irregular migration, through the allocation of a Guardia Civil’s patrol boat and an airplane.[86]

It should be further noted that the Government opened a €10 million tender to airlines wishing to carry-out return flights from Spain.[87] Moreover, in 2020, the Minister of Interior announced that it was tripling financial support to African countries, aiming at stopping irregular migration.[88] In November 2020, the Government also adopted a plan aimed at providing third countries (e.g. Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco) with equipment such as vessels, helicopters and airplanes in order to stop migration and increase expulsions of rejected applicants for international protection.[89]

In September 2022, Spain and Senegal started negotiations to resume returns of migrants irregularly staying in the Spanish territory.[90] During the same month, the Directorate-General of the National Police announced the decision to send six systems for the identification of forged documents to Gambia, with the aim of fighting smuggling rings.[91]

In August 2024, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania, three of the main countries of origin of people arriving to the Canary Islands. He signed agreements with those three countries to, inter alia, promote regular migration in the form of circular migration programmes and fight against migrant smuggling.[92]

In a paper published in October, ECRE highlighted how the dynamics of the negotiations between the EU and Mauritania suggest a restructuring of relations between the EU and Mauritania. Such a readjustment is, according to the organisation, is connected to the political concern with migration in Spain, but also by the shifting geopolitical landscape in the Sahel region.[93]

In October 2024, the EU announced the approval of €30 million funds dedicated to strengthen the Senegalese authorities’ capacity to aid migrants at risk and fight migrant smuggling and human trafficking. The European Commission already funds a €5.75 million project strengthening the capacity of Senegalese security forces to combat irregular immigration, trafficking and migrant smuggling.[94]

According to a report published in 2022 by the European Migration Network (EMN), Spain has readmission agreements with several additional African countries (Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and Niger).[95] A legal brief published in April 2024, contained a list of all the migration agreements on readmission or cooperation signed by Spain.[96] No information has been found on how widely they are applied nor how many persons are readmitted through the agreements.

The role of Moroccan authorities in migration and border control

According to official data, in December 2023 the Moroccan Government declared having prevented the arrival of 70,000 migrants to Spain during the last 3 years, by impeding 70 jumps of the fences of Ceuta and Melilla.[97] The decrease of arrivals of almost 26% in 2022 compared to 2021 has been connected also to the renewal of the cooperation between Morocco and Spain.[98] See the 2021, 2022 and 2023 updates of the AIDA report for more details on the issue on previous years.

In the past years, Spain has provided Morocco with consistent funding and different kind of equipment for the purpose of border and migration control. Information on funding to Morocco indicates that a total of 118 million Euros deriving from EU funding have been granted so far by Spain since 2019 to the beginning of 2024. The new allocation of funding seems to relate to the maintenance of three patrol boats of the Guardia Civil, five refrigerated trucks, and 190 thermal cameras.[99]

Following the XII High Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco held at the beginning of February 2023, the two countries issued a joint declaration establishing the renewal and reinforcement of the cooperation in the fight against irregular migration, border management, the fight against smuggling and the readmission of migrants in irregular situations.[100]

The closure of the Moroccan borders, along with the COVID-19 pandemic and the Spanish migration policy in the Mediterranean,[101] are probably the main reasons for the notable increase in arrivals on the Canary Islands registered since the end of 2019, despite the higher risks that such a route involves. In November 2020, the Spanish Government further announced a joint mission with Frontex aimed at limiting arrivals and closing the ‘Canary migratory route’.[102] In January 2021, Frontex and Spain agreed on renewing the activities of the EU agency for one more year, with 257 officers deployed covering the Gibraltar Strait and the Alborán Sea, as well as the Canary Islands.[103]

On 17 June 2022, Frontex launched the operation ‘Minerva 2022’ in Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta; it lasted until mid-September, with 101 officers deployed by participant States.[104]  The joint operation ‘Minerva 2023’, led by the Spanish National Police and coordinated by Frontex, was carried out from mid-June to beginning of September, with the participation of 94 experts coming from 16 countries.[105] During 2022, a total of 2,034 identifications and more than 1,900 police actions were carried out.

In addition, Morocco (together with Algeria) became the new route for Sudanese refugees migrating to Europe, due to the serious political instability in Libya, the violence in such country and the militias controlling its territory.[106]

In August 2022, the EU announced the intention to allocate more than EUR 500 million to Morocco for the period 2021-2027, a budget that is 50% higher than the previous one, including for border management and police cooperation.[107]

In 2023, the Spanish Prime Minister reiterated the essential role that Morocco has in managing and controlling migration to Spain and Europe.[108]

During the XXII Meeting of the Spanish-Moroccan Permanent Group on Migration Issues (XXII Reunión del Grupo Permanente de Asuntos Migratorios Hispano-Marroquí) held in October 2024 in Marrakech, the Spanish Government reiterated the exemplary collaboration and the consolidated relationship with Morocco in the field of migration, especially in the fight against organised crime and in the joint management of order and safe migration.[109]

 

  • Arrivals by sea

In 2024, 61,323 persons and 1,807 boats reached Spain via sea routes.[110]

Out of the total number of persons arriving by sea, the vast majority (46,843 persons) were disembarked on the Canary Islands, which has become one of the main destinations for boats since the last months of 2019, while 14,431 persons arrived on the mainland and the Balearic Islands. Only a few migrants disembarked in Ceuta (28 persons) and Melilla (21 persons).[111]

The trend showing an increased number of boat arrivals in the Canary Islands continued at the beginning of 2025, with 780 migrants who arrived in the archipelago during the first week of January.[112]

Regarding the number of deaths in the Mediterranean, several figures have been reported. In September 2024, the UNHCR reported that during the first seven months of 2024, at least 702 persons died in the Canary Islands migratory route, and three more than the Central Mediterranean.[113]  The NGO Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) estimates that 10,457 persons died while reaching Spain in 2024, including 9,557 who lost their life on the Canary route.[114] It further reported that 421 of victims were women, 1,538 were children, and that a total of 131 vessels disappeared with those 10,457 persons on board. The persons who died belonged to 28 different nationalities.

According to IOM’s figures, a total of 1,166 persons died in the Atlantic route.[115] It is worth noting, looking at the gap between the figures provided by IOM and Caminando Fronteras, that the methodology and source differs between the two data sets. According to the author’s knowledge, Caminando Fronteras receives calls from people who have lost contact with their family members who had undertaken a migratory journey, and report disappearances accordingly, thus indicating higher numbers than, IOM, Salvamento Marítimo and the National Police.

In July 2023, the organisation ‘Caminando Fronteras’ asked the Public Prosecutor Office to open an investigation for the crime of failure to provide assistance to 36 persons who died after waiting ten hours to be rescued in their route to the Canary Islands by the Moroccan authorities, while a boat of the Spanish Salvamento Marítimo was at 1 hour navigating distance from the boat in distress.[116]

In March 2024, the police dismantled a network that offered families of missing migrants’ false information about their location in exchange for money.[117]

 

Situation on the Canary Islands

As demonstrated by the figures above, boats arrivals to the Canary Islands continued in significant numbers throughout 2024. It is very likely that the Canary Islands will continue to be one of the main point of entry to Spain for migrants and refugees throughout 2025.

The ‘Canary route’ continues to be the deadlier route to reach Spain, with 9,757 out of 10,457 registered deaths of migrants trying to reach Spain in 2024 recorded on this route.[118] During 2024, the deaths on the migration route to the Canary Islands reached up to 1,000 persons per day, and Mauritania surpassed Senegal as the main departure zone in the Atlantic route.[119]

Nevertheless, while the focus has continuously to be on the Canary Island during the last years, the so-called ‘Algerian route’ has also recorded many arrivals since 2022, especially to the Balearic Islands, Murcia and Alicante. This route was the second deadliest in 2024, with 517 deaths.

Serious concerns regarding the access to reception, overcrowding and poor living conditions on the Canary Islands are described in the Reception Chapter of this report (see Access and forms of reception conditions). Regarding access to the asylum procedure, several shortcomings were reported in 2020, especially regarding the lack of legal assistance for migrants arriving by sea to the Canary Islands, resulting in important violations of their rights and the law.[120] In November 2023 the Government of the Canary Islands and the Bar Association of Santa Cruz de Tenerife reached an agreement aiming at assessing and guaranteeing a better quality of the legal assistance provided to migrants arriving by boat to the archipelago.[121]

As mentioned, to support the authorities in the early identification of international protection needs, in capacity building, in registration and assistance to newcomers, UNHCR has deployed a team in the archipelago since January 2021. Similarly, EUAA (former EASO) deployed a team of experts to the Canary Islands in March 2021 with the aim of supporting the Spanish authorities to manage the reception centres, in light of the increase in arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers.[122]

In June 2023, a new operational plan for 2023-2026 was agreed between Spain and the EUAA, which foresees a set of measures aiming at supporting and reinforcing the national reception authorities for the international protection, the temporary protection and the humanitarian assistance systems. In addition, compared to the previous operational plan, the new one foresees support to national authorities to foster common action in reception of unaccompanied migrant children in the Spanish territory, and to enhance the capacity of authorities and practitioners through training and professional development.[123]

Spain has received operational support by the EASO/EUAA since 2021. In June 2023, at the end of the 2022-2023 operational plan, the EUAA and Spain renewed their cooperation with an operational plan covering the period 2023-2026.[124]

Throughout 2024, the EUAA deployed a total of 103 experts in Spain,[125] 56 of which were temporary agency workers and 41 external experts. This included 14 social workers, 11 help desk information provision personnel, 11 intermediate asylum and reception programme and project management experts, and 11 intermediate reception training experts as well as other monitoring, legal and administrative staff (e.g., health liaison personnel, intermediate asylum information provision officers, intermediate vulnerability experts, etc). As of 11 December 2024, there were 48 EUAA experts present in Spain, mainly intermediate reception training experts (10), helpdesk information provision officers (6), and intermediate asylum and reception programme and project management experts (6).[126]

In 2024, the EUAA delivered 177 training sessions to a total of 2,407 experts and personnel of national authorities, relevant partners and EUAA contracted personnel.[127]

In March 2024, the Spanish Ombudsperson opened two investigations ex officio to investigate the situation of migrants arriving to the Canary Islands[128]

In September, the President of the Canary Islands called for a co-responsible and shared management of migration in the archipelago.[129] Negotiations between the central and regional governments were tough.[130] Due to the high number of arrivals, especially of UAMs, the President of the Canary Islands accused the central Government of abandoning the region amid the serious migration situation it is facing, and he informed about the possibility of taking legal action against the Spain state.[131]

At the end of November, a mission of the EU Parliament with the aim of assessing the migratory situation in the archipelago that would be carried out in 2025 was announced.[132]

A report published in December denounced the human rights violations occurring in the context of arrivals in the Canary Islands, i.e. the lack of guarantees of UAMs rights, the lack of adequate legal assistance, lack of quality of translation and interpretation services, etc.[133]

 

Search and Rescue (SAR) operations

Since April 2015, the NGO CEAR, in coordination with other NGOs (including Accem), is running the campaign ‘UErfanos’ to denounce the deaths in the Mediterranean Sea and the breaches to the right to asylum by the EU, which produce more ‘UEorphans’. The webpage of the campaign contains updated information on number of arrivals and deaths on the route to Europe and Spain.

Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo), an authority under the Ministry of Transport, is responsible for search and rescue carried out in the search and rescue zone belonging to Spain and Morocco.[134] The Police (Guardia Civil) usually participates along with the personnel of Maritime Rescue in Almería, but not in Algeciras. The Maritime Rescue always informs the Spanish Red Cross (Cruz Roja Española)[135] of arrivals. The Spanish Red Cross notifies its Emergency Immediate Response Teams (Equipos de Respuesta Inmediata en Emergencia, ERIE) that operate in Almería, Motril, Málaga, Tarifa and Ceuta, where migrants are taken upon their arrival.

In February 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the new National Plan on Maritime Rescue for the period 2025-2027, with the allocation of a budget of €163 million.[136]

The ERIE is composed of Red Cross staff and volunteers who are usually medical personnel, nurses and some intercultural mediators. Their first action consists in a health assessment to check the state of health and detect medical needs and the preparation of a health card for each of the newly arrived persons, which contains their personal data. As already mentioned, UNHCR also deployed personnel in different points of arrival in Spain. The main objective of the presence of UNHCR is to work in the field of identification, referral and protection of people who need international protection.

After this health screening, the ERIE distributes food, water, dry clothes and a hygiene kit. Normally, men are separated from women in shelters. The Spanish Red Cross further provides humanitarian and health care at this stage. This process must be carried out within a period of 72 hours in accordance with the maximum term of preventive detention foreseen by the Spanish legal system.

In January 2021, the Municipality of Barcelona announced its intention to intervene as civil party in the criminal procedure in the process in Palermo (Italy) against the former Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, for impeding the disembarkation of the Open Arms boat in Italy. The Open Arms was carrying 130 migrants and refugees during the summer of 2019.[137] The judgement started in Palermo in October 2021.[138] The first hearings were held in 2022.[139] In September 2024, the competent public prosecutor asked for 6 years of imprisonment for the former Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, for committing the crimes of kidnapping and refusal of official acts. The parties – both rescued people and the NGOs – of the civil action in the context of the criminal procedures asked for a compensation of 1 million Euros.[140] In December 2024, Matteo Salvini was acquitted by the Court of Palermo with the formula ‘because the alleged fact does not exist’.[141]

It should be further noted that, in February 2019, the Spanish Ombudsperson addressed a recommendation to the Ministry of Interior, asking to modify the instructions related to irregular immigrants as they affect possible asylum seekers found in vessels navigating in Spanish territorial waters.[142] The Minister of Interior accepted the recommendations.[143] In April 2022 however, the Minister of Interior reverted its decision and refused to adopt the changes proposed by the Ombudsperson.[144]

In January 2023, the Maritime Captaincy of Valencia opened an administrative procedure against the Spanish NGO rescue vessel ‘Aita Mari’ for certain alleged deficiencies detected 3 years before in Italy and that, according to the NGO managing the vessel, were corrected in the meantime. The Aita Mari risks to be fined with a fee between EUR 60,000 and 80,000.[145]

 

Denial of asylum following disembarkation from the Aquarius vessel

In September 2019, the CIAR started to deny asylum to some of the persons rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by the vessel Aquarius in 2018. Similarly, persons disembarked in Barcelona from the Open Arms’ vessel were denied asylum and the right to reception conditions, thus raising heavy criticism from experts.[146]

By November 2020, the Spanish government had granted international protection to only 9 persons out of 374 who applied for asylum, while 49 of them were denied any form of protection and 300 of them were still waiting an answer on their application after 2 years and a half.[147] The same situation persisted during 2021.[148]  According to available information, in June 2022, just 58 persons out of 629 had received asylum, 200 applications were denied, and 93 were still pending.[149] In June 2023 the President of the Association ‘Survivors of Aquarius’ denounced that, 5 years after their arrival, 80% of the asylum applications lodged by those who arrived with the vessel had been denied, while the vast majority of the others are still waiting for a decision on their asylum application.[150]

 

Police stations, CATE and CAED

All adults arriving to mainland by boat are placed in Detention for up to 72 hours in police facilities for identification and processing. This is also the case of families and women travelling with children, while children who arrive unaccompanied are usually taken to the competent protection centre.[151]

All persons rescued at sea are issued an expulsion order. If the person who irregularly entered Spain and received an expulsion order lodges an application for international protection, the expulsion order is suspended during the asylum procedure and resumes only in case of rejection of the application. If the person does not apply for international protection, but the order cannot be executed within a period of 72 hours, migrants are transferred to detention in a Foreigners Detention Centre (CIE) to proceed with the expulsion. Most migrants who are sent there are eventually not removed from the country,[152] as Spain does not have bilateral agreements with the relevant countries of origin. Once the maximum 60-day Duration of Detention in CIE has expired, the person is released with a pending expulsion order.

Shortcomings concerning access to legal assistance for persons arriving by sea have been reported in recent years. This includes contacting lawyers only following the notification of the expulsion order rather than at the moment of arrival of migrants in Spain. Lawyers meet with clients once they are in the CIE, but these interviews are in most cases collective and are conducted in the presence of police officers. The 2022 annual report of the Spanish Ombudsperson confirms such challenges and shortcomings.[153]

In its annual report on 2023, the Ombudsperson continued to express concerns regarding legal assistance provided during sea arrivals. The report referred to the lack of private interviews, of individualised counselling and of provision of information on rights and possible remedies. In addition, the Ombudsperson underlined that during 2023 such deficiencies were identified not only in the Canary Islands, but also in the Balearic Islands.[154]

In August 2021, the General Council of the Spanish Bar Association published guidelines on legal assistance during maritime arrivals, which contains practical guidance for lawyers on how to guarantee quality legal assistance to newcomers, including information on how to access the asylum procedure, and the right to defence.[155]

In addition, in order to respond to the increasing number of arrivals, from 2018 the Spanish Government put in place resources in order to manage arrivals and to carry out the identification of persons’ vulnerabilities in the first days of arrival. Specific facilities for emergency and referral have been created: these are referred to as Centres for the Temporary Assistance of Foreigners (Centros de Atención Temporal de Extranjeros, CATE) and Centres for Emergency Assistance and Referral (Centros de Atención de Emergencia y Derivación, CAED).[156]

  • CATEs are managed by the National Police and are aimed at facilitating the identification of persons by the police, i.e. recording of personal data, fingerprinting etc. In practice these are closed centres which function as police stations and all newly arrived persons must pass through CATE. The maximum duration of stay in CATE is 72 hours.

CATE are located in all the main points of sea arrivals: San Roque-Algeciras in Cádiz, Almería, Motril in Granada, in Málaga, Cartagena, Barranco Seco in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Tenerife, Arrecife in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura. CATE are usually large facilities; the one in San Roque has a capacity of about 600 places, for example. The one in Málaga has a capacity for 300 persons, with a space of 2.3m² per person, which is a 42.5% less than what is foreseen by the law for those detained in police station’s prisons. Concerns relating to the conditions of detention and of the facilities have been raised and continued to be a concern.[157] The construction of a new CATE in Cartagena, announced in 2020, was due to be finalised in 2021, but its construction was finalised in September 2022.[158] The Government further announced the construction of two additional CATEs in 2021, namely in Motril (Granada),[159] for which construction works were finalised in October 2022 and whose opening is foreseen for 2025,[160] and in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands, which  was opened  in Barranco Seco with a capacity of 1,000 places.[161]

In its 2023 annual report the Spanish Ombudsperson, in its capacity as National Mechanism for Prevention of Torture, continued to reiterate the need for the adoption of a specific legal instrument defining and regulating these centres created to manage sea arrivals.[162] In addition, the body insisted on the importance of having minimum furniture to allow people to sleep and sit in decent conditions. It also urged the Directorate-General of the National Police to install a system to properly store and adequately preserve food. Similarly, it recommended to allow migrants to use their mobile phones, as well as to improve the deficiencies previously identified by the NMP in terms of provision of legal assistance and interpretation services.

In December 2023, the Minister of Interior announced that 1,980 places would be made available at the CATEs of El Hierro and Fuerteventura, as well as the opening of two new CATEs in Fuerteventura and Tenerife, with the aim of facing the increase in arrivals to the Canary Islands.[163]

  • CAEDs are open centres managed by NGOs, i.e. the Spanish Red Cross, Accem and CEAR, under the coordination of the Directorate-General for Inclusion and Humanitarian Assistance (Dirección General de Inclusión y Atención Humanitaria, DGIAH) Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, and are usually large centres where certain assistance services are provided, including information, social and legal assistance.[164] For example, the CAED in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz is managed by the Spanish Red Cross and has capacity for 600-700 persons. Its aim is to establish the status of each newly arrived migrant and to facilitate them the possibility of contacting family members and friends across Spain and the EU.[165]

As of December 2024, there was a total of eleven CAED managed by NGOs (i.e. Accem, CEAR, Spanish Red Cross).[166] The Spanish Red Cross manages 7 CAED (3 in Madrid, 2 in Barcelona, 1 in Murcia, 1 in Valencia, 1 in Granada). Accem manages 3 of such facilities (in Mérida, Cartagena and Alcalá de Henares), and CEAR 1 in Cádiz.

In 2023, the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Assistance and Social Inclusion of Migrants announced the plan to reduce the number of such facilities as well as the number of reception places due to the decrease in the occupancy. The plan was to reduce the capacity from 1,410 to 1,060, and the number of facilities to 9.[167]

 

  • Border monitoring

UNHCR carries out monitoring activities at Spanish sea and land borders, including through presence of its staff in Melilla, Algeciras (covering Ceuta and Cádiz), Málaga (covering Málaga, Granada and Almería), and in the Canary Islands.

UNHCR’s work aims to support the authorities in the early identification of the international protection and special needs of people reaching Spanish territory, and in fostering appropriate access to the asylum procedure. UNHCR provides information on asylum, training of different stakeholders on international protection and refugee’ rights, and support to actors responsible for the registration, documentation, reception and assistance of asylum seekers.

Monitoring is carried out through regular visits to detention and reception centres to document refoulement related incidents, assess the profiles of sea and land arrivals and their specific needs, observe asylum interviews, as well as the access to and quality of interpretation and legal assistance. UNHCR offers advice and recommendations to authorities and NGOs on ways to better ensure access to territory and to the asylum procedure, in compliance with international and national legal standards.[168]

Based on the needs of persons arriving to the Canary Islands, in June 2022 Accem started to implement a project providing an interpretation service funded by the UNHCR. Such a service was directed at supporting the authorities and other actors involved in the reception of sea arrivals, including in detention and reception centres and in the provision of medical services, with the aim of improving the identification of persons in need of international protection among those arriving by boat and of fostering their access to the asylum procedure and to specialised assistance. The service initially counted a team of 12 interpreters (8 men and 4 women) speaking different languages and dialects, i.e. Arabic, English, French, Dahiya, Hassanal, Bambara, Soninke, Pular, Wolof and Diola. The interpreters had been trained on international protection, prevention of and response to gender-based violence, child protection, protection of LGTBIQ+ persons, the psychological impact of migration process, as well as on the role of interpreters and on professionalism. The project continued in 2024, by providing interpretation services to the police, NGOs, lawyers and reception centres, primarily for African minority languages for new arrivals in the Canary Islands. The project supported 9,169 individuals of various nationalities (Senegal, Morocco, Mali, Guinea Conakry, and Gambia) significantly improving communication possibilities in their native languages and enhancing the identification of persons with specific needs and in need of international protection and referrals to services and the asylum procedure. The interpreter project also supported the authorities with interpretation services in minority languages at Madrid Barajas airport and in Ceuta.[169]

The project significantly improved communication possibilities in the applicants’ native languages and enhanced the identification of persons with specific needs and in need of international protection and referrals to services and the asylum procedure. Continuous training in interpretation within a refugee context, including specific areas such as gender, child protection, and LGBTIQ+ issues, further professionalised interpreters.[170]

Monitoring is carried out by visiting and assessing the situation in border facilities. This includes assessing the conditions in the facilities, access to information on asylum, the way in which asylum interviews are carried out, as well as the access to interpretation and legal assistance. UNHCR generally supports, advises and recommends authorities and NGOs on how to improve access to territory and the procedure, in compliance with international and national legal standards.

 

  • Legal access to the territory

Resettled refugees access the asylum reception system and are entitled to reception conditions as asylum applicants. In relation to the procedure, they arrive with a decision already taken on their status. As soon as they arrive, they receive the notification of the decision (in some cases also directly at the airport upon arrival) and thus, once in Spain, they just have to apply for receiving accommodation and receiving a work permit.

In 2024, 738 refugees referred by UNHCR were resettled in Spain. The arrival of 516 Syrians from Lebanon and 222 Nicaraguans from Costa Rica represented a 61% implementation rate of the pledged yearly resettlement quota of 1,200 people. Security and logistical challenges at departure points in Lebanon hindered the possibility to travel for some of the persons due to be resettled. Arrivals included 110 Nicaraguans that are taking part in the second edition of the resettlement+ employment scheme started in 2023 under the leadership of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations (for more details, see below).[171]

UNHCR supported the resettlement programme through its participation in the national resettlement coordination group and the community sponsorship initiative through a specific consultancy, which informed discussions on the way forward for these programmes in the future.[172]

Newly resettled families are also channelled into the regional community sponsorship programmes and positive integration outcomes were registered for those families who completed the programmes, especially related to language learning, rapid access to employment and local inclusion. UNHCR continued supporting community sponsorship programmes in the Basque Country and Navarra: 28 resettled Syrians (six families) were welcomed under the third edition of the regional community sponsorship initiative in the Basque Country.[173]

Expansions to established community sponsorship programs were agreed in the Basque Country and Navarra. A positive evaluation of the programme in Valencia prompted interest in resuming it in 2024. Other regions expressed interest in implementing similar schemes.[174]

In December 2023 the Government allocated 1.8 million Euros for the resettlement of 1,200 refugees from Costa Rica, Lebanon and Türkiye.[175] In February 2024, the Government announced the programme’s enlargement, with the aim of including other 1,500 refugees coming from Central and South America in 2024 and 2025.[176] In addition, in January 2024 the Council of Ministers approved the Annual programme for the Resettlement of Refugees, with the commitment to resettle 1,200 refugees. In 2023, almost 1,200 refugees were resettled to Spain from Costa Rica, Lebanon and Türkiye.[177]

In October 2023, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration started to implement a project, together with Accem and the Council of the City of Valladolid to foster access to the job market for more than 100 Nicaraguan refugees resettled from Costa Rica to Spain, specifically in the field of renewable energies.[178] In December 2023, 74 persons arrived to Spain within this framework.[179] The project continued in 2024 and at the beginning of 2025, involving almost 200 Nicaraguan refugees resettled from Costa Rica.[180]

In April 2023, Spain informed about its participation, together with Canada and Mexico, in the US program to foster regular pathways of migration for persons coming from Central and South America.[181]

In 2023 UNHCR continued to support the implementation of Spain´s resettlement programme through participation in the national resettlement coordination group. In the context of resettlement, Spain achieved a 92% implementation rate of its committed quota of 1,200 places, comprising 302 Syrians from Türkiye and Lebanon and 96 Nicaraguans from Costa Rica. UNHCR advocated for Spain’s participation in resettlement initiatives from the American continent, resulting in the resettlement of Nicaraguans from Costa Rica. Another 72 resettled Nicaraguans arrived from Costa Rica under a labour mobility pilot project, which was linked to Spain’s participation in the Safe Mobility Offices Initiative. This pilot program continued and in December 2024 other 202 resettled Nicaraguan refugees arrived in Spain from Costa Rica, with a labour contract.[182]

Spain responded swiftly to UNHCR´s call for prompt resettlement upon the tragic earthquakes in Türkiye,

by executing an urgent resettlement operation, providing assistance to 302 earthquake affected refugees,

with UNHCR promoted resettlement coordination group playing a crucial role.[183]

In January 2024 the Government approved the National Programme for the Resettlement of Refugees in Spain, with the commitment to resettle 1,200 refugees in Spain during 2024.[184]

In its 2024 annual report, Human Rights Watch remarked that the Government’s pushback policy and failure to offer legal routes to claim asylum at its borders continued to contribute to deaths at sea.[185]

In a report mapping visa schemes and other practices enabling people in need of international protection to reach Europe safely, Spain resulted to be one of the few EU countries implementing sponsorship schemes.[186]

In June, the Spanish Government (concretely the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration) has been chosen by the UNHCR to chair the 2025 annual Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways, which will be co-chaired also by the Spanish NGO Accem.[187]

In December 2024, the organisation CEAR launched the campaign ‘El abrazo más esperado’ to raise awareness and advocate for family reunification, as one of the safe and legal pathways to obtain protection according to Spanish legislation.[188]

During the same month, a total of 471 Syrian refugees were resettled to Spain from Lebanon.[189]

A new resettlement quota of up to 1,200 places for 2025 was approved by the Council of Ministers at the end of 2024.[190]

In March 2025, UNHCR called for more labour migration channels to Spain to curb the dangerous route to the Canary Island. [191]

As specified in the section on Differential treatment, after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Spain started to transfer persons fleeing the country, also by issuing visa to Spain to Afghans at the embassies and consulates in Iran and Pakistan.

Family reunification opportunities are discussed further in the final chapters of the report.

 

 

 

 

[1] Ministerio del Interior, ‘Inmigración irregular 2024. Datos acumulados del 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre’, January 2025, available here.

[2] Rabat Process, ‘6th Ministerial Conference: Adoption of the Cadiz Action Plan’, 21 December 2023, available here.

[3] EU MED5, Ministerial Conference, ‘DECLARACIÓN COMÚN DEL MED5. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 19-20.04.24’, April 2024, available here

[4] El País, ‘Political crisis in Senegal triggers influx of migrants to Spain’s Canary Islands’, 16 July 2023, available here.

[5] Hora Sur, ‘Arranca la Operación Minerva, con 16 países implicados en la seguridad fronteriza del Estrecho’, 24 June 2023, available here; Ceuta Ahora, ‘Policía Nacional y FRONTEX coordinan la operación MINERVA en los puertos de Algeciras’,  23 June 2023, available here; Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía, ‘Investigación del posible uso fraudulento de fondos europeos en prácticas que vulneran los Derechos Humanos’, 10 May 2023, available here.

[6] El País, ‘Frontex amenaza con irse de España’, 25 January 2024, available here; Público, ‘Canarias ve con “preocupación” la posible marcha de Frontex de España e Interior dice que todo se arreglará “en horas”’, 25 January 2024, available here.

[7] El País, ‘Frontex y España llegan a un acuerdo ‘in extremis’ para retomar las operaciones contra la inmigración irregular’, 29 January 2024, available here.

[8] Centre Delàs, Irídia: ‘Qui vigila el vigilant? Violència a les fronteres i impunitat a Frontex’, January 2024, available here.

[9] PICUM, ECRE, ‘Beyond walls and fences: EU funding used for a complex and digitalised border surveillance system Study on the use of the Border Management and Visa Instrument during the 2021 – 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework’, April 2024, available here.

[10] Euractiv, ‘Spain’s PP suggests deploying army to curb irregular migration’, 5 July 2024, available here.

[11] EuroMed Rights, ‘Digital technologies for migration control at the Spanish southern border’, August 2024, available here.

[12] Info Migrants, ‘Spain asks Frontex to patrol African waters to curb migration’, 11 October 2024, available here.

[13] PorCausa, ‘Externalización (*) Caos, corrupción y control migratorio bajo la apariencia de cooperación europea’, April 2024, available here.

[14] Amnistía Internacional, ‘España: La privación de libertad, el oscuro método de gestión migratoria’, 20 November 2024, available here.

[15] La Vanguardia, ‘The Spanish migration route is widening due to the increase in arrivals of Asians’, 9 December 2024, available here; ABC, ‘Un cayuco con medio centenar de sirios y pakistaníes abre un giro inesperado en la Ruta Canaria’, 2 September 2024, available here.

[16] Diario de Mallorca, ‘Palma se convierte en escala preferente de la ruta aérea para entrar a Europa con pasaportes falsos’, 31 August 2024, available here.

[17] Info Migrants, ‘Spain: More than 700 migrants rescued off the Balearics over four days’, 8 November 2024, available here.

[18] Reuters, ‘The Spanish island that is Europe’s new migration frontline’, 21 November 2024, available here.

[19] Reuters, ‘Number of migrants reaching Spain’s Canary Islands breaks all-time record’, 2 December 2024, available here; Ministerio del Interior, ‘Inmigración irregular 2024. Datos acumulados del 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre’, January 2025, available here.

[20] Info Migrants, ‘Under the radar: The growing wave of Latin American asylum seekers fleeing to Europe’, 16 August 2024, available here.

[21] Info Migrants, ‘Pakistan to the Canary Islands: Does a migrant shipwreck shed light on a new route?, 21 january 2025, availablñe here.

[22] Info Migrants, ‘Caribbean: 19 suspected migrants from West Africa found dead in drifting fishing boat’, 31 January 2025, available here.

[23] Info Migrants, ‘Morocco: Nearly 80,000 attempts to reach the EU prevented in 2024’, 7 February 2025, available here.

[24] Madrid Diario, ‘Desarticulada una red que introducía migrantes por Barajas simulando ser menores’, 15 February 2024, available here.

[25] Ministerio del Interior, ‘Inmigración irregular 2024. Datos acumulados del 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre’, January 2025, available here.

[26] Asociación Pro-Derechos Humanos de Andalucía (APDHA), ‘Derechos Humanos en la Frontera Sur 2024’, January 2025, available here; El Pueblo de Ceuta, ‘APDHA sostiene que Ceuta sigue siendo escenario de devoluciones en caliente’, 22 January 2025, available here.

[27] CEAR, ‘Informe 2020: las personas refugiadas en España y Europa’, June 2020, available here, 74.

[28] Melilla Hoy, ‘Impiden un intento de entrada de migrantes a Melilla por la zona de Aguadú’, 26 August 2024, available here.

[29] Público, ‘Menos concertinas y más altura: colectivos de Melilla y Ceuta denuncian que las nuevas vallas continúan vulnerando los derechos humanos’, 29 August 2020, available here.

[30] El Faro de Melilla, ‘La oficina de asilo de Beni Enzar tendrá dos plantas para ampliar sus dependencias’, 26 August 2020, available  here.

[31] Ceuta al Día, ‘Interior renueva los módulos que albergan la oficina de asilo del Tarajal a la que apenas ha dado uso’, 26 August 2020, available here.

[32] Público, ‘El control migratorio en España: una oscura industria de más de 660 millones en cinco años’, 1 July 2020, available here.

[33] Europa Press, ‘El Gobierno aprueba las últimas reformas de modernización de la valla de Ceuta por un importe de 4 millones’, 19 July 2022, available here.

[34] El Faro de Melilla, ‘Terminado el nuevo sistema de seguridad de la valla’, 19 March 2024, available here.

[35] Público, ‘Reto a Marlaska: un sudanés devuelto a Marruecos en la tragedia de Melilla pide asilo en la embajada de España en Rabat’, 13 December 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3hLTzmc

[36] El Faro de Melilla, ‘Entrevistado el joven sudanés que pidió asilo en la Embajada española en Rabat hace tres meses’, 6 March 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3ZMxjJi; Público, ‘El salvoconducto a España del sudanés que sobrevivió a la tragedia de Melilla ya está en manos del embajador en Marruecos’, 8 March 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3YDmmIM.

[37] El Diario, ‘La carta a Pedro Sánchez de un sudanés devuelto a Marruecos: “Jamás habría intentado saltar la valla si tuviera otra opción”’, 24 june 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/fkfyama7.

[38] Público, ‘Basir, superviviente de la tragedia de Melilla, recurre a la Audiencia Nacional tras un año ignorado por el Gobierno’, 16 december 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/426zsth8.

[39] Público, ‘Basir, superviviente de la tragedia de Melilla, recurre a la Audiencia Nacional tras un año ignorado por el Gobierno’, 16 December 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/38d473af.

[40] Afrofeminas, ‘La Justicia ordena a España acoger al migrante sudanés que pidió asilo en la embajada de Rabat’, 11 April 2024, available here.

[41] El País, ‘El refugiado sudanés que ganó el pulso al Gobierno ya está en España’, 24 May 2024, available here; Radio Televisión Española, ‘Llega a España el joven sudanés que pidió asilo en la embajada de Rabat tras la tragedia de la valla de Melilla’, 28 May 2024, available here.

[42] El Debate, ‘Marruecos aborta un intento masivo de asalto a las vallas de Ceuta y Melilla’, 1 January 2024, available here.

[43] Onda Cero, ‘Alrededor de 200 migrantes tratan de entrar a nado a Ceuta’, 12 August 2024, available here.

[44] Reuters, ‘Hundreds of migrants swim into Spain’s Ceuta enclave from Morocco’, 26 August 2024, available here.

[45] El Plural, ‘La Guardia Civil en Melilla enfrenta acusaciones tras el fallecimiento de un migrante’, 26 August 2024, available here.

[46] El Pueblo de Ceuta, ‘Marruecos arresta al menos a 60 personas por planear una entrada masiva a Ceuta’, 11 September 2024, available here.

[47] Info Migrants, ‘’I wanted my son to be born in Europe’: Pregnant woman swims to Ceuta to give birth’, 5 September 2024, available here.

[48] El Diario, ‘El refugiado que denunció a la Guardia Civil por quedar ciego de un ojo en un salto a la valla: “Ha de saberse la verdad”’, 6 October 2024, available here; El Faro de Melilla, ‘Suspendida la declaración judicial de un inmigrante contra la Guardia Civil en Melilla’, 7 October 2024, available here.

[49] Info Migrants, ‘At least 44 migrants arrived swimming in Ceuta, 35 minors’, 20 November 2024, available here.

[50] Levante, ‘El Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía ratifica como ilegales las devoluciones en caliente de los migrantes rescatados en el mar’, 27 March 2025, available here.

[51] Organic Law 4/2015 of 30 March 2015 on the protection of citizen security.

[52] UNHCR Spain, ‘Enmienda a Ley de Extranjería vincula gestión fronteriza y respeto de obligaciones internacionales’, 13 March 2015, available here. See also ECRE, ‘Spain: New law giving legal cover to pushbacks in Ceuta and Melilla threats the right to asylum – Op-Ed by Estrella Galán, CEAR’, 27 March 2015, available here.

[53] Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Third party intervention in N.D. v. Spain and N.T. v. Spain, 9 November 2015, available here

[54] Eurostat; migr_eirfs.

[55] Huffington Post, ‘El Congreso inicia de nuevo la reforma de la ley mordaza si Podemos lo permite’, 29 October 2024, available here; Público, ‘La reforma de la ley mordaza pactada con EH Bildu llega al Congreso con el aviso de Podemos y Junts de que habrá enmiendas’, 28 October 2024, available here; Newtral, ‘El acuerdo para acabar con la ley mordaza prevé prohibir las devoluciones en caliente y las pelotas de goma’, 3 October 2024, available here; Onda Cero, ‘Gobierno y Bildu pactan la reforma de la ley mordaza: estos son los puntos clave de la nueva normativa’, 3 October 2024, available here; Ceuta Actualidad, ‘Las devoluciones en caliente se acabarán si sale adelante el acuerdo entre Bildu y el Gobierno para derogar la Ley Mordaza’, 3 October 2024, available here.

[56] El Independiente, ‘El Congreso inicia la reforma de la ‘ley mordaza’ con la negativa del PP y Vox: “Dan a Bildu la protección de la Policía”’, 29 October 2024, available here.

[57] ECtHR, N.D. and N.T. v. Spain, Application Nos 8675/15 and 8697/15, Judgment of 3 October 2017. 

[58] ECtHR, Grand Chamber, Case of N.D. and N.T. v. Spain, Applications nos. 8675/15 and 8697/15’, 13 February 2020, available here.

[59] See EDAL summary here. For an analysis, see also Stavros Papageorgopoulos, N.D. and N.T. v. Spain: do hot returns require cold decision-making?, 28 February 2020, available here

[60] Ibid.

[61] Ibid.

[62] Atresmedia, ‘La Unión Progresista de Fiscales tilda de “brutal retroceso” el fallo del Tribunal Europeo que avala las devoluciones en caliente’, 15 February 2020, available here.

[63] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Nota de prensa Sentencia TEDH: Una sentencia dolorosa para demandantes y sociedad civil, pero que no legitima las devoluciones sumarias’, 14 February 2020, available here.

[64] Netflix, ‘The Gourougou Trial’, November 2022, available here.

[65] Tribunal Constitucional, Recurso de inconstitucionalidad STC 2015-2896, 19 November 2020, available here; Tribunal Constitucional, NOTA INFORMATIVA Nº 108/2020. El Pleno del TC avala la constitucionalidad de la ley de protección de la seguridad ciudadana de 2015 salvo las grabaciones “no autorizadas” a la policía, 19 November 2020, available here.

[66] Committee on the Rights of the Child, Views adopted by the Committee under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, concerning communication No. 4/2016 – CRC/C/80/D/4/2016, 12 February 2019, available here.

[67] El Correo, ‘El Supremo confirma el archivo de la causa sobre la tragedia de El Tarajal’, 2 June 2022, available here.

[68] Cadena Ser, ‘El Constitucional admite a trámite el recurso que presentaron varias ONG contra el archivo de la causa del Tarajal’, 28 June 2023, available here.

[69] The Guardian, ‘Refugee files complaint to UN against Spain over 2014 border deaths’, 1 February 2024, available here.

[70] El País, ‘Un superviviente que perdió visión en un ojo en la tragedia de El Tarajal denuncia a España ante la ONU’, 6 February 2025, available here.

[71] Tribunal Supremo. Sala de lo Contencioso, STS 114/2024 – ECLI:ES:TS:2024:114, 22 January 2024, available here.

[72] El Salto, ‘Para el movimiento migrante y antirracista, la masacre en la valla de Melilla continúa en la impunidad’, 23 June 2024, available here.

[73] Border Forensics, in collaboration with Irídia-Centre for the Defense of Human Rights and AMDH-Moroccan Association for Human Rights, ‘The Nador-Melilla border trap’, 18 June 2024, available here.

[74] Ceuta al Día, ‘Devoluciones en caliente, el sistema pactado actualmente entre Marruecos y España aplicado esta misma semana en Ceuta’, 9 July 2024, available here.

[75] Levante, ‘700 intentos al día de entrada irregular a Ceuta desde el 22 de agosto, con picos de 1.500’, 26 August 2024, available here.

[76] No Name Kitchen, ‘A un lado y al otro de la valla: responsabilidad española y europea en las devoluciones en Ceuta y Melilla’, 26 September 2024, available here.

[77] Europa Press, ‘Un juzgado de Ceuta declara nula la devolución a Marruecos de un migrante argelino’, 17 September 2024, available here.

[78] Europa Press, ‘Un juzgado de Ceuta ya ha dictado dos veces como irregulares las devoluciones sumarias por mar’, 17 September 2024, available here.

[79] El País, ‘Mauritania recibe un tercio de los vuelos de expulsión de inmigrantes desde España’, 1 July 2020, available here.

[80] Espiral 21, ‘España y Mauritania ponen en marcha la migración circular’, 8 February 2024, available here; The Guardian, ‘EU leaders unveil €210m Mauritania deal in bid to curb people-smuggling’, 8 Febryary 2024, available here; Canarias 7, ‘Pestana pide refuerzo policial para atender el repunte migratorio’, 8 February 2024, available here.

[81] Cope, ‘Argelia se suma a Marruecos y Mauritania y ya empieza a aceptar inmigrantes retornados desde España’, 2 December 2020, available here.

[82] Público, ‘Interior retoma las deportaciones de migrantes argelinos desde los CIE’, 2 December 2020, available here.

[83] El País, ‘Interior incrementa la deportación de los marroquíes llegados a Canarias’, 7 December 2020, available here; El Español, ‘Rabat acepta la devolución de migrantes de Canarias en la negociación con la UE para lograr más visados’, 3 December 2020, available here.

[84] El Confidencial, ‘España alcanza un acuerdo con Senegal para repatriar a los migrantes irregulares’, 22 November 2020, available here; El Salto Diario, ‘El plan de España en Senegal: extractivismo para empobrecer pero migración criminalizada’, 10 April 2021, available here.

[85] Público, ‘España retomará los vuelos de deportaciones de migrantes a Senegal’, 5 February 2021, available here.

[86] El País, ‘La ministra de Exteriores cierra en Senegal un acuerdo para reactivar las repatriaciones’, 22 November 2020, available here.

[87] Voz Populi, ‘El Gobierno pagará hasta diez millones a las aerolíneas por devolver inmigrantes a sus países de origen’, 31 December 2020, available  here.

[88] El País, ‘Interior triplica las subvenciones a países africanos para contener la inmigración irregular’, 29 June 2020, available here.

[89] El Diario, ‘El Gobierno activa un plan para “evitar la salida de pateras” a Canarias que incluye el envío de más aviones y buques a los países de tránsito,’ 13 November 2020, available here; El Día, ‘Repatriaciones y más vigilancia, el plan del Estado ante la inmigración, 14 November 2020, available here; Canarias7, ‘El Gobierno deportará a inmigrantes sin protección internacional y no los derivará a la península’, 13 November 2020, available here.

[90] Público, ‘España y Senegal negocian para retomar las deportaciones de migrantes’, 19 September 2022, available here.

[91] El Confidencial Digital, ‘Interior proporcionará material policial a Gambia para frenar la inmigración irregular’, 15 September 2022, available here.

[92] Radio France International, ‘Spain signs accords with Mauritania, Gambia to curb illegal migration’, 28 August 2024, available here; Euronews, ‘Spain and The Gambia sign partnership agreement on migration control in the Canary Islands’, 29 August 2024, available here; Associated Press News, ‘Spain’s leader in Senegal concludes West Africa tour aimed at tackling irregular migration’, 29 August 2024, available here; Info Migrants, ‘Spain’s circular migration policy explained’, 5 September 2024, available here; Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘Elma Saiz viaja a Mauritania para reforzar los programas de migración circular, que en 2023 beneficiaron a empresas y 17.200 trabajadores’, 28 August 2024, available here;

[93] ECRE, ‘The EU-Mauritania partnership: whose priorities?’, ECRE Working Paper 21, October 2024, available here.

[94] Le monde, ‘EU announces €30 million package to prevent irregular migration from Senegal’, 16 October 2024, available here.

[95] European Migration Network (EMN), ‘Bilateral Readmission Agreements’, September 2022, available here.

[96] Claudia Finotelli, Laura Cassain and Gabriel Echeverria, ‘Spain Country Brief on Irregular Migration Policy Context’, April 2024, available here.

[97] Heraldo, ‘Marruecos impidió en los últimos tres años a 10.000 migrantes entrar en Ceuta y Melilla’, 7 December 2023, available here.

[98] Atalayar, ‘El acuerdo entre España y Marruecos hace descender la inmigración irregular en un 26%’, 4 January 2023, available here; Público, ‘La nueva relación con Marruecos atenúa la migración hacia Canarias’, 3 September 2022, available here.

[99] The Objective, ‘El Gobierno ya lleva donados 118 millones a Marruecos para vigilar sus fronteras y costas’, 18 February 2024, available here.

[100] La Moncloa, ‘XII reunión de alto nivel Marruecos-España. 1-2 febrero 2023. Declaración conjunta’, February 2023, available here.

[101]ECSaharaui, ‘Covid-19 cambia la ruta de la inmigración ilegal procedente de Marruecos; del estrecho de Gibraltar a Gran Canarias’, 19 July 2020, available here.

[102] El País, ‘España y Frontex negocian una operación para cerrar la ruta migratoria canaria’, 7 November 2020, available here

[103] El País, ‘Frontex renueva un año más sus operaciones en España’, 29 January 2021, available here.

[104] Cadena Ser, ‘Arranca la Operación Minerva ’22 en los puertos de Algeciras y Tarifa’, 17 June 2022, available here; El Mundo, ‘Interior destina más policías de plantilla para la Frontera del Tarajal en Ceuta’, 17 June 2022, available here

[105] Ministerio del Interior, ‘Policía Nacional coordina y dirige junto a FRONTEX la operación conjunta MINERVA en los puertos de Algeciras, Ceuta y Tarifa’, 23 June 2023, available here.

[106] Français Fois, ‘Le Maroc, nouvelle voie migratoire pour les Soudanais en route vers l’Europe’, 29 July 2022, available here

[107] News EsEuro, ‘Inmigración ilegal: La UE prevé destinar más de 500 millones de euros a Marruecos (Medios españoles)’, 15 August 2022, available here.

[108] Le Monde, ‘Madrid salue le rôle « essentiel » du Maroc en matière migratoire’, 20 April 2023, available here; Diario de Sevilla, ‘El Gobierno defiende sus políticas migratorias y de fronteras’, 19 April 2023, available here; La Razón, ‘Marruecos erige a Sánchez como freno de la inmigración ilegal’, 15 April 2023, available here; El Debate, ‘La mayor presión marroquí sobre la inmigración dispara la ruta argelina a Baleares’, 17 July 2023, available here.

[109] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘España y Marruecos estrechan lazos y abordan el futuro de las migraciones en un encuentro de alto nivel que se ha celebrado en Marrakech’, 21 October 2024, available here.

[110] Ministerio del Interior, ‘Inmigración irregular 2024. Datos acumulados del 1 de enero al 31 de diciembre’, January 2025, available here.

[111] Ibidem.

[112] Euro News, ‘Hundreds of migrants arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands continuing the record-breaking influx’, 8 January 2025, available here.

[113] La Vanguardia, ‘Canary Islands migratory route already claims more lives than the Central Mediterranean’, 19 September 2024, available here.

[114] Caminando Fronteras, ‘Monitoreo del derecho a la vida – Año 2024, December 2024, available here.

[115] IOM, ‘Migration Flow to Europe. Dead and Missing’, 2024, available here.

[116] Diario de Canarias, ‘Caminando Fronteras pide a la Fiscalía una investigación penal sobre la neumática hundida rumbo a Canarias’, 6 July 2023, available here.

[117] Info Migrants, ‘Spain: Network ‘profited for years’ from families of missing migrants‘, 14 March 2024, available here.

[118] Caminando Fronteras, ‘Monitoreo del derecho a la vida – Año 2024, December 2024, available here.

[119] The New Humanitarian, ‘Deaths on migration route to Canary Islands soar to 1,000 a month’, 19 June 2024, available here.

[120] Cadena Ser, ‘La mayoría de los inmigrantes que llegan a Canarias en las últimas semanas no reciben asistencia jurídica’, 11 November 2020, available here.

[121] Gobierno de Canarias, ‘El Gobierno de Canarias acuerda con el Colegio de Abogados un mejor control de calidad en la atención a migrantes’, 10 November 2023, available here; El Diario, ‘Las lagunas de la asistencia letrada que reciben los migrantes en Canarias: ”Reciben peor atención que los delincuentes”’, 12 November 2023, available here.

[122] EASO, ‘EASO support to Spain becomes fully operational’, 10 March 2021, available here.

[123] EUAA, ‘Operational Plan 2023-2026 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Spain’, 12 June 2023, available here.

[124] EUAA, Operational Plan 2023-2026 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Spain, June 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3RKjdai.

[125] EUAA personnel numbers do not include deployed interpreters by the EUAA in support of asylum and reception activities.

[126] Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025. In the figures above, the same persons may have been included under different profiles, if a change of profile took place in the course of 2024.

[127] Information provided by the EUAA, 14 March 2025.

[128] Cadena Ser, ‘El Defensor del Pueblo abre dos investigaciones de oficio en Canarias sobre la situación migratoria’, 14 MNarch 2024, available here.

[129] Gobierno de Canarias, ‘Clavijo llama a una gestión corresponsable y solidaria con Canarias en el Día Canario de las Migraciones’, 10 September 2024, available here.

[130] Euractiv, ‘Spanish centre-right at odds with government over migrant crisis in the Canaries’, 7 October 2024, available here.

[131] Euractiv, ‘Canary Islands government accuses Spanish State of ‘abandoning’ the region amid a serious migratory crisis’, 2 September 2024, available here; EU News, ‘“On migrants, Madrid abandoned us”: Canary Islands government threatens legal action’, 2 September 2024, available here.

[132] Gobierno de Canarias, ‘El Parlamento europeo enviará una misión a Canarias para examinar la crisis migratoria’, 20 November 2024, available here; EPP Group in the European Parliament, ‘Dos misiones del Parlamento Europeo viajarán a Canarias para abordar la inexistente y caótica gestión migratoria del Gobierno’, 29 January 2025, available here.

[133] NoNovact, Irídia, ‘Vulneración de Derechos Humanos en Canarias 2024. Infancia migrante y Criminalización’, December 2024, available here.

[134] CEAR, ‘Refugiados y migrantes en España: Los muros invisibles tras la frontera sur’, December 2017, 8.

[135] Cruz Roja Española, see here.

[136] Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible, ‘El Gobierno aprueba el nuevo Plan Nacional de Salvamento Marítimo con una inversión de 163 millones de euros para modernizarse’, 4 February 2025, available here.

[137] Europapress, ‘Barcelona se personará en el juicio en Italia contra Salvini por el bloqueo del Open Arms’, 27 January 2021, available here.

[138] La Vanguardia, ‘Arranca el juicio contra Salvini por bloquear el desembarco del Open Arms’, 23 October 2021, available here.

[139] La Notizia, ‘Processo Open Arms, nuova udienza a Palermo per Salvini. Il vicepremier: “Rischio 15 anni di carcere”’, 13 January 2023, available here; Il Sicilia, ‘Salvini a palermo per il processo Open Arms, incontrerà i dirigenti del partito’, 1 March 2022, available here. Ansa, ‘”Difeso la sicurezza nazionale”, Salvini in aula per Open Arms’, 12 January 2024, available here.

[140] Ansa, ‘Open Arms, le parti civili chiedono oltre un milione a Salvini’, 20 September 2024, available here.

[141] Euro New, ‘Open Arms, Matteo Salvini assolto dal tribunale di Palermo perché il fatto non sussiste’, 21 December 2024, available here.

[142] Defensor del Pueblo,’El Defensor del Pueblo recomienda al Ministerio del Interior modificar las instrucciones sobre polizones extranjeros para proteger a posibles solicitantes de asilo’, 28 February 2019, available here.

[143] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘Polizones extranjeros. Tratamiento de solicitudes de asilo’, available here.

[144] Público, ‘Interior cambia de criterio y se niega a mejorar la protección de los polizones que piden asilo en España’, 21.4.22, available here.

[145] El Diario, ‘El buque de rescate ‘Aita Mari’ se enfrenta a una multa de un millón de euros tras una denuncia de Italia de 2020’, 27 January 2023, available here.

[146] El País, ‘El Gobierno deniega el asilo a rescatados por el ‘Aquarius’’, 28 September 2020, available here.

[147] Las Provincias, ‘El Gobierno se olvida del Aquarius’, 15 November 2020, available here.

[148] Las Provincias, ‘El fiasco del Aquarius’, 21 May 2021, available here.

[149] Cadena Ser, ‘Cuatro años después los migrantes de la flotilla del ‘Aquarius’ se sienten abandonados’, 15 June 2022, available here.

[150] Cadena Ser, ‘Cinco años después de la llegada del Aquarius: ‘Nos consideran ilegales cuando nos invitaron a venir’’, 13 June 2023, available here.

[151]  Ibid, 10.

[152] El País, ‘España expulsa 30 inmigrantes por día desde 2013’, 7 January 2019, available here.

[153] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘Informe anual 2022 – Volumen I ‘, March 2023, available here, 169.

[154] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘Informe anual 2023. Volumen I’, March 2024, p. 176, available here.

[155] Consejo General Abogacía Española, Fundación Abogacía Española, ‘Asistencia jurídica en llegadas marítimas Guía práctica para la abogacía’, August 2021, available here.

[156] Europapress, ‘Un total de 22.082 personas han sido atendidas a pie de playa en lo que va de 2018, casi la cifra total de 2017’, 30 July 2018, available here; El Periódico, ‘La inusual llegada de pateras a Málaga obliga a buscar soluciones de emergencia’, 13 November 2018, available here.

[157] Defensor del Pueblo, Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención, ‘Infome anual 2023’, March 2024, 45, available here.   

[158] La Opinión de Murcia, ‘El CATE provisional de Cartagena abrió sin luz ni Internet y carece de zona de desembarco’, 9 October 2022, available here; La Verdad, ‘La apertura del CATE de Cartagena depende ahora de una prórroga sobre el suelo’, 4 February 2022, available here.

[159] Andalucía Información, ‘El Nuevo CATE de Motril entrará en funcionamiento en 2022, según Gobierno’, 23 September 2021, available here.

[160] Ideal, ‘El Gobierno avanza que el nuevo CATE de Motril ya está preparado para entrar en uso’, 4 March 2025, available here.

[161] APDHA, Derechos Humanos en la Frontera Sur 2021, March 2021, available here, 60.

[162] Defensor del Pueblo, Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención, ‘Infome anual 2023’, March 2024, 45, available here

[163] La Razón, ‘Interior aumentará en casi 2.000 plazas la capacidad de acogida temporal a migrantes en Canarias’, 13 December 2023, available here.

[164] Europapress, ‘El centro para la acogida temporal de migrantes en Mérida atiende a 196 personas en su primera semana en servicio’, 3 August 2018, available here.

[165] APDHA, ‘Derechos Humanos en la Frontera Sur 2019’, February 2019, 36-37.

[166] Information provided by Accem’s reception department in March 2025.

[167] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘Resolución de 14 de noviembre de 2022, de la Dirección General de Atención Humanitaria e Inclusión Social de la Inmigración, por la que se establece la planificación de prestaciones, actuaciones y servicios que deben atenderse dentro del programa de atención humanitaria mediante acción concertada para los ejercicios 2023-2026’, 14 November 2022, available here.

[168] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2025.

[169] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2025.

[170] Information provided by UNHCR in April 2024.

[171] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2025.

[172] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2023. See also ECRE, ‘Pathways to Protection: Mapping visa schemes and other practices enabling people in need of international protection to reach Europe safely’, March 2024, available here.

[173] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2025.

[174] Information provided by UNHCR in April 2024.

[175] El Periódico de Canarias, ‘España dedica 1,8 millones a reasentar a 1.200 refugiados de Turquía, Costa Rica y Líbano’, 24 December 2023, available here.

[176] Europa Press, ‘España recibirá a 1.500 personas de América Central y Sur en 2024-2025 por la ampliación del programa de reasentamiento’, 5 February 2024, available here.

[177] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Gobierno aprueba el Programa Nacional de Reasentamiento de Refugiados en España para 2024 por el que se acogerá a 1.200 personas’, 9 january 2024, available here.

[178] El Español, ‘Más de un centenar de refugiados nicaragüenses serán reasentados en Valladolid para trabajar en un proyecto pionero’, 13 October 2023, available here.

[179] Accem, ‘Accem recibe a 70 personas refugiadas de Nicaragua en el marco de un proyecto piloto para trabajar en el sector de las renovables’, 12 December 2023, available here.

[180] Diario de Valladolid, ‘Valladolid acogerá a otros cien nicaragüenses para las plantas eólicas de Villalba de los Alcores’, 7 January 2025, available here.

[181] La Moncloa, ‘España y EEUU colaborarán para impulsar la migración regular desde América Central y del Sur’, 27 April 2023, available here; Texas Tribune, ‘New Biden plan will let people in Latin American countries apply to legally enter U.S., Canada or Spain’, 27 April 2023, available here.

[182] OIM, ‘Llegan a España 202 personas nicaragüenses procedentes de Costa Rica en el marco del programa de reasentamiento’, 13 December 2024, available here.

[183] Information provided by the UNHCR in April 2024.

[184] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Gobierno aprueba el Programa Nacional de Reasentamiento de Refugiados en España para 2024 por el que se acogerá a 1.200 personas’, 9 January 2024, available here.

[185] Human Rights Watch, ‘World report 2023. Spain, events of 2023’, January 2024, available here.

[186] ECRE, ‘Pathways to Protection: Mapping visa schemes and other practices enabling people in need of international protection to reach Europe safely’, March 2024, available here.

[187] Accem, ‘Accem copreside las Consultas Anuales sobre Reasentamiento y Vías Complementarias de ACNUR junto con el Gobierno de España’, 13 June 2024, available here.

[188] CEAR, ‘‘El abrazo más esperado’, la nueva campaña de CEAR para garantizar el derecho a la reagrupación familiar’, 12 december 2024, available here.

[189] Accem, ‘Acogida de 31 personas refugiadas de origen sirio reasentadas desde Líbano’, 19 December 2024, available here.

[190] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2025.

[191]  El Diario, ‘ACNUR pide más vías de migración laboral a España para frenar la peligrosa ruta canaria’, 12 March 2025, available here.

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection
  • ANNEX I – Transposition of the CEAS in national legislation