Author
Access to the labour market for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection is not limited by law or by any other measure in such as a labour market test or restricted access to certain sectors. It is fully accessible under equal conditions to nationals.
As mentioned in the chapter on Reception Conditions, during the first phase of reception, asylum applicants are provided with financial support for requesting the recognition of their studies or professional qualifications when this is feasible. This financial support is welcomed as recognition process usually undertakes important expenses for the legalisation and the translation of the documentation. Unfortunately, financial support is often not sufficient for guaranteeing full coverage to recognition related expenses. In the following two phases, beneficiaries of international protection are required to be more financially self-sufficient, providing financial help for punctual support, as self-sufficiency is hardly achievable.
Reception centres in Spain provide educational aid to facilitate parents’ attendance at training courses, such as providing their children with nurseries, school canteens, or teaching materials.[1]
Nonetheless, as mentioned in the section on Reception Conditions: Access to the Labour Market, all persons within the 18-month long process are provided with individualised schemes to support their training, qualification recognition etc. After they complete the 3-phase process, beneficiaries can still access labour integration and orientation services provided by NGOs addressed to the migrant population in general. These generalised services are funded by the Ministry of Inclusion and co-financed by EU funds, and include personalised schemes, employment orientation, vocational trainings, support in drafting CV, etc.
In general, the same NGOs who provide for reception conditions and have an employment service continue to support beneficiaries who require or need it. For example, Accem runs an employability program with IKEA since 2017, which foresees the provision of vocational trainings as well as internship opportunities at its shops. The organisation also manages a program with the Fundación Tent, which consists in a mentorship program with women and carried out by professionals from companies, with the aim of supporting and empowering them in defining their skills for the job search in a concrete sector and in developing such professional competencies. Similarly, Accem collaborates with the Grupo Northius, a platform for digital education, which has granted 20 scholarships for the participation of beneficiaries in different vocational trainings aiming at improving the employability of participants.[2]
Even when they are granted with refugee or subsidiary protection status, in the practice many beneficiaries face obstacles entering the labour market due to language, qualifications, and discrimination-based obstacles. This situation is made worse by the fact that the Spanish economy went through a long economic crisis, which led the country to high levels of unemployment, affecting both migrants and Spanish citizens. In addition, many companies lack information on labour laws and permits on their applicability in the cases of asylum seekers and refugees, which in turn hinders their access to the job market.[3]
CEAR and the Casa Árabe (a centre promoting Arabic culture, art and language) launched in Madrid the initiative ‘Acoge un Plato Catering’ during the summer of 2021. It aims at promoting Arabic gastronomy, as well as social and labour inclusion for refugees in Spain.[4] The project, which employees 14 between refugees and migrants, continued to be implemented in 2022.[5] In addition, within such an initiative, CEAR published a cookery book in September 2022, which gathers the recipes and histories of the refugees who participated in Acoge un Plato.[6] In July 2023 the initiative was present with a food truck at the Río Babel Music Festival in Madrid.[7]
The recognition of diplomas and degrees in Spain has always been a challenge for migrants and refugees due to bureaucratic burdens, with waiting times ranging from 9 months to 2 years. Since October 2022, establishing the deadline of 6 months for the administration has to decide on diploma recognition within 6 months.[8] In February 2025, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities informed about the new measures put in place to speed up the procedure for the recognition of diplomas and degrees, and the objective for 2025 is to reach 80,000 recognitions. It also informed that in 2024 a total of 40,200 applications were resolved, representing an increase compared to the 27,200 applications decided in 2023.[9] In January 2026, CEAR denounced that the lack of recognition of diplomas and degrees condemns migrant and refugees to job insecurity.[10]
In July 2022, a reform of the Regulation of the Immigration Law was adopted, aiming at widening the possibilities of employment of third country nationals in Spain.[11] Among others, the reform introduces the residence permits for ‘training roots’ reasons (arraigo por formación), meaning that any undocumented person living in Spain for 2 years can access a vocational training and thus employment. The reform also modifies the already existing figure of residence permit for ‘social roots’ reasons (arraigo social), by easing the requirements requested for obtaining it. While acknowledging the improvements that the reform introduces, different organisations (i.e. Andalucía Acoge, Cáritas, CEAR, Convive Fundación CEPAIM and Red Acoge) underlined the necessity to continue in its improvement in order to tackle other relevant issues not interested by such a reform (i.e. family reunification, the issuing of visa for job search, a better synergy between the immigration and asylum laws, etc.).[12] As underlined by Accem, in the year following the adoption of the reform there was an increase of 98.5% in the number of persons who received a residence permit for any of the ‘roots’ reasons, with 15,019 having been granted a permit on the ground of ‘training roots’ until June 2023.[13]
In December 2023 the Government of Cataluña launched a call to look for mentors, with the aim of supporting asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection in their integration process.[14] Since the launch of the programme in 2017, 1,286 mentors and 961 mentees have participated in the initiative.[15]
In June 2024, the Government and IKEA signed a protocol to foster refugees’ employability, which objectives include, among others, certification of professional competences, access to the job market, learning of Spanish, etc.[16] In October, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration launched projects to foster the employability of beneficiaries of international protection with different companies (i.e. IKEA, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Grupo COBRA and INECO), with the aim of fostering their integration in the labour market.[17] More than 300 persons were hired during the first quarter of 2025.[18] During 2025, these projects continued.[19]
In February 2025, the Banco Santander joined the initiative Tent España, a coalition of more than 50 big companies aiming at fostering the access to the labour market for asylum seekers and refugees through vocational trainings and offering job opportunities.[20] In addition, in a discussion with the leaders of different national and international companies held for the commemoration of the 1st anniversary of the business coalition Tent España, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration called to companies to join initiatives which foster the employability of asylum seekers and refugees.[21]
In the same month, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published the follow-up report of the 2023-2027 Strategic Framework for Citizenship and Inclusion against Racism and Xenophobia.[22] The report noted that inequalities persist in education, employment, housing and access to basic public services such as healthcare. It also highlighted the need to implement integration, and coexistence plans in all Autonomous Communities, considering that, until 2023, only six Autonomous Communities had such plans, and only three had implemented specific strategies against racism and xenophobia.[23]
During the same month, the Asociación KARIBU, Catalyst 2030 Spain, TRIPLE and United Way España within the worldwide Conecta Community and in collaboration with Bridge for Billions launched the programme IMPACTA, aiming at fostering entrepreneurship skills of migrants, refugees and persons at risk of social exclusion.[24]
In June 2025, Accem and LinkedIn Social Impact launched a joint initiative to foster access to labour market of migrants and refugees.[25]
In February 2026, the Construction Labour Foundation and CEAR signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of promoting the social and labour integration of refugees, stateless persons and migrants in need of international protection and/or at risk of social exclusion assisted by CEAR in Spain, through access to training and employment services.[26]
During 2025, UNHCR continued working on the identification, support and development of initiatives that favour the labour inclusion and employability of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection and stateless people in Spain. The collaboration with the Green Jobs Platform enhanced refugees’ employability and provided job opportunities in the green economy sector. The Building Digital Equity initiative supported refugee women through coaching to improve their employability. The Contigo mentoring project which promotes social engagement and participation among young refugees, was expanded to also support participants in accessing employment opportunities. In addition, UNHCR worked with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration to reinforce its strategy to support refugees’ and asylum seekers’ access to employment, including through the deployment of a UNHCR expert.[27]
[1] European Migration Network, ‘Integration of applicants for international protection in the labour market’, October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yeuzscsf.
[2] Information provided by Accem’s employment service in March 2023.
[3] Newtral, ‘La falta de información dificulta el acceso al mercado de trabajo a los solicitantes de asilo y protección internacional’, 13 January 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3Kk4RHV.
[4] CEAR, ‘Acoge un Plato inaugura restaurante en la terraza de la Casa Árabe de Madrid’, 24 June 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3mYrO9l.
[5] Cadena Ser, ‘”La cocina es la manera más fácil de integrar”: así funciona el proyecto más sabroso de la Comisión de Ayuda al Refugiado’, 18 August 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3AxOOSL; CEAR, ‘Acoge un Plato’, available at: https://bit.ly/3F1qHOo.
[6] CEAR, ‘Recetario de celebraciones Acoge un Plato’, September 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3W1s2vB.
[7] CEAR, ‘‘Acoge un Plato’ acercará a Río Babel las recetas de personas refugiadas’, 27 June 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/48m7k84m.
[8] Cope, ‘Gobierno limita a seis meses el plazo para homologar los títulos extranjeros’, 18 October 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3XDWbCn.
[9] El País, ‘Las homologaciones de títulos extranjeros se doblan en un año, con 80.000 como meta en 2025’, 5 February 2025, available here; El País, ‘La odisea de homologar un título universitario extranjero’, 15 June 2025, available here.
[10] Info Migrantes, ‘La falta de reconocimiento de títulos condena al talento migrante a la precariedad laboral: CEAR’, 24 January 2026, available here.
[11] El Periódico, ‘El Gobierno aprueba la reforma de extranjería para sumar a miles de migrantes al mercado laboral’, 25 July 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3pDUrcM; República, ‘Entra en vigor la reforma que facilita la incorporación de extranjeros al mercado de trabajo’, 15 August 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3AjruYr; Boletín Oficial del Estado, ‘Real Decreto 629/2022, de 26 de julio, por el que se modifica el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social, tras su reforma por Ley Orgánica 2/2009, aprobado por el Real Decreto 557/2011, de 20 de abril’, 27 July 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3c94J1H.
[12] Andalucía Acoge, ‘Reglamento de extranjería: una reforma necesaria, aunque limitada’, 27 July 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3wqWdlw; Andalucía Acoge, ‘Resumen reforma ley extranjería’, August 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3PCtCAo.
[13] Accem, ‘Se duplican las autorizaciones de residencia por la vía del arraigo y te explicamos por qué’, 6 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/3dffar57.
[14] Diari Mes, ‘La Generalitat busca mentores para acompañar a solicitantes de asilo’, 7 December 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/2vndktev.
[15] El Periódico, ‘Se buscan mentores para refugiados: cuando un informático catalán se convirtió en el “hermano mayor” de un abogado afgano’, 20 June 2024, available here.
[16] La Revista de la Seguridad Social, ‘El Gobierno e IKEA firman un protocolo para facilitar la empleabilidad de los refugiados en España’, 10 June 2024, available here.
[17] La Moncloa, ‘Migraciones impulsa programas de formación con multinacionales para solicitantes de protección internacional’, 28 October 2024, available here; La Moncloa, ‘Migraciones impulsa la integración laboral de refugiados con alianzas estratégicas y formación a medida’, 20 December 2024, available here.
[18] Revista de la Seguridad Social, ‘El Ministerio de Migraciones amplía su programa de inserción laboral de personas refugiadas con nuevas empresas y convenios’, 12 May 2025, available here.
[19] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Ministerio de Migraciones sigue apostando por la inserción laboral de personas refugiadas con la colaboración de empresas y asociaciones’, 30 October 2025, available here.
[20] Santander, ‘Banco Santander se une a Tent España para impulsar la inclusión laboral de las personas refugiadas’, 19 February 2025, available here.
[21] Ministerio de Inclusión, Securidad Social y Migraciones, ‘Elma Saiz llama a las empresas a unirse a iniciativas que apuesten por la empleabilidad de las personas refugiadas’, 19 February 2025, available here.
[22] Observatorio Español del Racismo y la Xenofobia (OBERAXE), ‘Marco Estratégico de Ciudadanía e Inclusión contra el Racismo y la Xenofobia (2023-2027)’, 4 July 2023, available here.
[23] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘El Gobierno presenta una detallada radiografía de los avances y retos en materia de convivencia e inclusión de la población migrante’, 19 February 2025, available here.
[24] Programa IMPACTA, available here.
[25] Accem, ‘Accem y LinkedIn Social Impact: una alianza que transforma vidas’, 4 September 2025, available here.
[26] Inter Empresas, ‘La Fundación Laboral de la Construcción y CEAR impulsan la inserción laboral de personas migrantes y refugiadas’, 13 February 2026, available here; La Razón, ‘La construcción ofrece un plan al Gobierno para incorporar de forma inmediata al sector a 12.000 trabajadores extranjeros en situación irregular’, 11 December 2025, available here.
[27] Information provided by UNHCR in March 2026.