Author
Reception conditions for asylum seekers in Spain include the coverage of personal expenses for basic necessities and items for personal use, transportation, clothing for adults and children, educational activities, training in social and cultural skills, learning of hosting country language, vocational training and long-life training, leisure and free time, child care and other complementary educational type, as well as aid to facilitate the autonomy of the beneficiaries.
The Reception Regulation elaborates the different forms of reception conditions offered in each phase of the reception system:
- Assessment and referral phase: Applicants receive: (a) basic information on the reception system; (b) basic and immediate assistance i.e. hygiene kits, baby food, health check and care; (c) legal and psychological assistance; (d) temporary accommodation until a place is available in the reception system; (e) translation and interpretation if needed.[1]
- Reception phase: Applicants receive, inter alia: (a) reception; (b) legal, psychological, cultural, and social support; (c) language course; (d) socio-labour counselling and access to vocational trainings; (e) translation and interpretation if needed; (f) schooling for children; etc.
- Autonomy phase: Applicants receive, inter alia: (a) financial support for covering basic needs according to individual necessities; (b) legal, psychological, cultural, and social support; (c) language course; (d) socio-labour counselling and access to vocational trainings; (e) translation and interpretation if needed; etc.
Financial allowances and further details are decided on a yearly basis and published by the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. These amounts are based on the available general budget for reception of the Directorate-General. It is worth to note that financial allowances have not been increased in the last years.
All asylum seekers hosted in the reception phase are given the amount of €56 per month per person (to cover personal out-of-pocket expenses), plus €22 per month for each minor in charge. In addition to this pocket money they receive on a monthly basis, other necessities are also covered after presenting a receipt of the expense when it regards: public transport, clothing, health related expenses, education and training related expenses, administration proceedings related expenses, translation and interpretation fees.
During the autonomy phase, protection holders are not provided with accommodation anymore; they live in private apartments and housing. They receive no pocket money, although expenses for the rent are covered by the asylum system. They can also receive additional financial support for covering basic needs (Atención a las necesidades básicas). The maximum amount of the latter varies according to the number of persons composing the family and further depends on whether they benefit from additional financial support for other types of expenses (ayudas puntuales) such as health, education, training, birth.
Financial assistance to asylum seekers could be considered as adequate or sufficient during the reception phase, as it is aimed to cover all basic needs. However, during the autonomy phase, conditions and financial support are not meant to be adequate, as they are conceived as extra assistance for supporting refugees’ gradual integration in the host society.
Main obstacles for asylum applicants present after passing the reception phase, as the system foresees an initial degree of autonomy and self-maintenance which is hardly accomplishable in 6 months’ time, and almost impossible in the case of applicants who have difficulties in learning and speaking the Spanish language, and thus face greater barriers to access to employment.
[1] Article 16 of the Reception Regulation.