Author
While the increase in arrivals of asylum seekers throughout 2018 and 2019 has exacerbated difficulties in accessing reception, the actual conditions in reception facilities have not deteriorated since reception capacity was increased. The problem asylum seekers face on some occasions is the long waiting time before they can be placed in accommodation facilities.
Conditions in CAR and NGO accommodation
The majority of available places for asylum seekers in Spain are in reception centres, during the first phase of reception, which lasts for a maximum of 6 months. As stressed, during the second phase they are placed in private housing, as the final aim is their autonomy within the Spanish society.
In general, there have not been reports of bad conditions of reception. In fact, there are no registered protests or strikes by applicants. Unless they are placed in private housing, asylum seekers are not able to cook by themselves during the first phase of reception, as meals are managed by the authority in charge of the centre.
Hosted applicants have access to several types of activities, which may vary from trainings or leisure programmes. In general, particular conditions or facilities within the reception centre depend on the authority managing the reception places. As the majority of centres are managed by specialised NGOs, generally the staff that works with asylum seekers during their reception is trained and specialised.
The accommodation of every asylum seeker is decided on case by case basis, in order to prevent tensions or conflicts (such as nationality or religious based potential situations), vulnerability or violence. Single women for example are usually placed in female-only apartments, while the same happens for single men. Family unity is also respected, as family members are placed together.
The usual length of stay for asylum seekers inside the reception facilities is the maximum stay admitted, which is 18 months, extendable to 24 months for vulnerable persons. This is due to the fact that the system is divided into 3 main phases that gradually prepare the person to live autonomously in the host society.
Conditions in CETI
Overcrowding in the CETI in Ceuta and Melilla is a serious issue that has persisted in recent years, resulting in poor or substandard reception conditions for asylum seekers and migrants.
The two CETI are reception facilities that have received the most criticism from organisations and institutions that monitor migrants’ and refugees’ rights, starting from 2016.[1] Accommodation standards were described as inadequate, and concerns were expressed regarding the exposure of women and children to violence and exploitation due to the continuous overcrowding have been highlighted.[2]
Since 2022, the facilities registered very low numbers of residents, it seems it is due to the increase of transfers of asylum applicants to mainland following the decision of the High Court in 2020 (See Freedom of movement).[3] During 2023, the CETI in Ceuta accommodated a total of 1,093 migrants during all the year, which represents the lowest number since 2010.[4] During 2024 and beginning of 2025, some situations of overcrowding were registered following the increase in arrivals, including of Latin American asylum seekers, but migrants were transferred to reception facilities in the mainland to ensure places remained available in those facilities.[5] It is worth noting that the presence of Latin American asylum seekers in the two enclaves is not due to the migratory route they follow to reach Spain, but to the fact that, while they arrived in mainland, they decided to move to Ceuta and Melilla just to apply for asylum, due to the long waiting times to access the procedure in the mainland.[6]
It can be noted that, on top of overcrowding, CETIs do not provide satisfactory conditions for family units and overall for families with minors. As a result, families are separated, and children stay with only one of their parents. In both centres, the shortage of interpreters and psychologists has also been criticised.[7]
In addition, the lack of a specific regulation determining the rules and procedures for the internal functioning at the CETIs has represented a persistent reason of concern. In April 2024, the organisation Solidarity Wheels reported that five asylum seekers were expelled from the centre in Melilla without following a formal procedure for the withdrawal of reception conditions, and they were thus living on the streets. So, it called for an urgent comprehensive revision of the disciplinary procedures in such facilities.[8] The same call was made also in May, when a migrant with mental health needs was expelled from the same centre.[9]
Lack of transparency and arbitrary in the rules accessing the centre have also been denounces during the years, such as in October 2024, when a Moroccan asylum seeker was denied the right to access reception in the CETI of Melilla.[10]
In March 2025, fourteen asylum seekers were denied access to accommodation at the CETI of Melilla and had to camp outside the facility, following a decision of the police establishing that applications for asylum in Melilla had to be made online and no longer in person. The Bar Association of the City, together with other stakeholders, tried to find accommodation solutions for them, such as acoomodating the asylum applicants at an hotel. Following calls by the President of the City of Melilla and the Ombudsperson, the asylum applicants were finally transferred to a reception facility in Málaga.[11]
Conditions in other reception facilities
Living conditions on the Canary Islands[12]
In the last years, many challenges in providing adequate reception conditions to migrants and asylum seekers continued to be reported in particular on the Canary Islands. This is due to the significant increase of arrivals as described in Arrivals by sea, but also because of the overall lack of reception facilities and the deficient humanitarian assistance system on the Canary Islands.
In the last years, the Canary Islands lacked the capacity to face the rapid increase in sea arrivals it faced; this also negatively impacted centres for unaccompanied minors, that struggled to provide adequate reception conditions and services.[13]
In order to overcome the lack of appropriate and sufficient reception facilities, starting from 2020, many stakeholders, such as the Spanish Ombudsperson or the NGO CEAR, repeatedly called upon the authorities to transfer migrants and asylum seekers from the Canary Islands to appropriate reception facilities on the mainland.[14] For this purpose, CEAR called on the Autonomous Communities for more solidarity among them in sharing the welcoming and reception of the migrants who arrive to the Canary Islands.[15]
Besides, since 2021, the Government adopted plans and increased the budget for expanding the reception system for migrants and asylum seekers in the Canary Islands, as well as to increase transfers of people to reception facilities in mainland.
The deterrence policy followed by the Government on the Canary Islands was similar to the one applied for several years in Ceuta and Melilla, whereby only a minority of transfers were carried out to mainland.[16] Contrarily to this longstanding policy, since 2023 transfers to mainland have increased consistently, even though transfers from the Canary Islands were not considered sufficient compared to the number of arrivals.[17]
The challenges of the reception system in the Canary Islands persisted in 2024.[18] Despite noting some improvements in the reception of UAMs in the archipelago, in its 2023 annual report the Spanish Ombudsperson continued to identify challenges in terms of adequate infrastructures and specialised personnel.[19] The lack of adequate facilities, the lack of minimum standards in reception, and overcrowding in the reception of UAMs are also underlined in a thematic report on migrant children in the Canary Islands published in December 2024.[20]
In September 2024, the EU informed that it will allocate €14 million from its European Regional Development Fund to the Canary Islands, with the aim of assisting and hosting migrants.[21]
It has been underlined that the emergency approach adopted in dealing with the situation on the islands leads to severe delays in procedures such as age assessment, access to residence permits for children, enrolment in training and vocational courses.[22] Lack of accommodations places targeting ageing out adolescents has caused a great vulnerability of youth migrants when leaving minors protection centres when aging out. Coordination with the other Spanish autonomous communities is needed, and support by the central government is vital to deal with the situation in the long term.
Moreover, as already mentioned above, the EUAA started to support Spanish asylum authorities, after having agreed upon an operational plan mainly focused on support to reception. This includes providing enhanced capacity to reception services in the Canary Islands. In January 2021, the EUAA carried out a needs’ assessment mission at six sites in the Canary Islands, which have received a high number of persons with international protection needs in recent months. The mission was carried out in order to enable the Agency to tailor its support to the specific needs in the region, and the results were discussed with the State Secretary for Migration of Spain.[23] The Operation Plan on Special Support to reception agreed between the EUAA and Spain foresees a set of areas where the EU agency can support the Spanish Government, including assessing ‘the need for actions in support of emergency reception facilities with a specific focus on the Canary Islands’.[24] As mentioned above, a new operational plan for 2023-2026 has been agreed between Spain and the EUAA, with foresees measures also aimed at strengthening the reception system in the archipelago.[25]
Living conditions in Cañada Real of Madrid
An informal settlement of Cañada Real has been set up in Madrid where many migrants and other persons live. The living conditions are extremely poor and, since the last quarter of 2020, there is no electricity available. This situation affects around 4,600 persons, including 1,800 children, many of them of a young age. The situation persisted in 2024.[26] The responsible authorities have not taken any measures to address this issue as of yet.
Since 2020[27] different relevant national and international stakeholders (i.e. the Spanish Ombudsperson[28] and different UN Rapporteurs[29]) have denounced the seriousness of the situation and its impact on the health of children, as well as the violation of the conventions ratified by Spain.[30]
The case opened at the end of 2020 against the Autonomous Community of Madrid and Naturgy/Unión Fenosa (the company providing the service) is still ongoing at the time of writing.[31] Detailed information on the issue can be found in the 2020 and 2021 updates of this report.
At the end of October 2022, the Committee on Social Rights of the Council of Europe urged the Spanish Government to restore the electricity in the area, and established a deadline on 15 December for the government to provide information on the measures implemented to comply with such requirement.[32] The day after the expiration, Save the Children reported that national authorities had not respected their commitments.[33]
In December 2022, Save the Children launched the campaign #LUZPARALACAÑADA, with the aim of collecting 60,000 signatures and of asking national and local institutions (i.e. the Spanish Government, the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the Municipality of Madrid) to restore immediately the energy supply, and to double the efforts to unblock the delay of Naturgy in the energy provision.[34] In addition, many persons gathered in from of the Assembly of Madrid to protest against the lack of electricity in the settlement for two years.[35] In October 2024, the Cañada Real continued to be without electricity after 4 years.[36]
Living conditions in other informal settlements
The situation in informal settlements across Spain (especially in Andalucía) continued to be a concern in 2024. Many migrants, asylum seekers/refugees/persons in need of international protection and seasonal migrant workers live in these settlements in poor living conditions and with no access to basic services.[37] Many of them are victims of trafficking, forced labour and forced prostitution.[38]
In August 2023 the First Strategic Plan to eradicate informal settlements and substandard housing and to foster the social inclusion of persons (basically migrants) living in agricultural areas in Andalucía was approved by the Autonomous Community’s Government.[39]
At the beginning of 2024, the Government of Andalucía allocated almost EUR 2 million to the Municipalities of Lepe, Moguer and Lucena del Puerto, with the aim of improving living conditions for temporary migrant workers in informal settlements.[40]
In May 2024, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration met with the Regional Government of Andalucía (Junta de Andalucía) with the aim of discussing about the first strategic plan to eradicate informal settlements.[41]
In November, the ONG ‘Almería Acoge’ informed about the extreme poor living conditions and exclusion faced by about 4,000 living in the informal settlement of Níjar.[42]
In its 2025 annual report on Southern borders, the NGO ‘Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía – APDHA’ denounced the serious violations of the human rights of migrant workers in the informal settlements of Almería and Huelva. It reported that migrant workers live in substandard housing conditions without electricity and water, far away for city centres, at risk of suffering fires, with difficulties in accessing health care and schooling for their children, and are victim of any kind of abuses in the workplace.[43]
Following the death of a migrant in the informal settlement in Lucena del Puerto (Huelva), the political party Sumar registered a parliamentary request at the Congress regarding the situation in the informal settlements in Almería and Huelva, highlighting the inactivity of the Regional Government of Andalucía and the inefficiency of the Strategic Plan for the eradication of Informal Settlements adopted in 2023.[44]
[1] Human Rights Watch, ‘Spain: LGBT Asylum Seekers Abused in North African Enclave’, 28 April 2017, available at: http://bit.ly/2oS5jTD. See also The Guardian, ‘In limbo in Melilla: the young refugees trapped in Spain’s African enclave’, 10 May 2017, available at: http://bit.ly/2pyuTxb; Amnesty International, El asilo en España: Un sistema de acogida poco acogedor, May 2016, available at: https://goo.gl/G1YtPi, 37; UNICEF, Acogida en España de los niños refugiados, 2016, available at: https://goo.gl/SaBZgo; Defensor del Pueblo, El asilo en España: La protección internacional y los recursos del sistema de acogida, June 2016, available at: https://goo.gl/rJrg3k, 64
[2] Council of Europe, Report of the fact-finding mission by Ambassador Tomáš Boček, Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees, to Spain, 18-24 March 2018, SG/Inf(2018)25, 3 September 2018, available at: https://bit.ly/3SFhUJV, para 5.1.
[3] Melilla Hoy, ‘El CETI, bajo mínimos: solo hay 3 migrantes acogidos’, 13 March 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3Z8dwTF; El Faro de Melilla, ‘El CETI bate su récord histórico: cierra 2022 con solo 5 migrantes acogidos’, 10 January 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/407FgJn.
[4] Ceuta Actualidad, ‘Descenso histórico: CETI de Ceuta acoge el menor número de inmigrantes desde 2010’, 26 February 2024, available at: https://tinyurl.com/5yee56sa.
[5] Andalucía Información, ‘Embarcan hacia Algeciras 17 migrantes para distribuirlos por Andalucía y liberar el CETI’, 18 July 2024, available here; La Vanguardia, ‘Asocian el colapso del centro de inmigrantes de Ceuta al aumento de las entradas a nado’, 1 August 2024, available here; El Faro de Melilla, ‘El CETI cuenta actualmente con 800 migrantes’, 31 January 2025, available here; Melilla Hoy, ‘El CETI acoge actualmente a 400 usuarios, la mayoría latinoamericanos’, 22 August 2024, available here.
[6] ABC, ‘El CETI de Melilla cambia de color por el “atajo” del asilo sudamericano’, 7 July 2024, available here.
[7] Sira, ‘Las condiciones de acogida en Frontera Sur agravan el sufrimiento psíquico de las personas migrantes que llegan a España’, January 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3lxGsqH.
[8] Tercera Información, ‘Solicitantes de asilo son expulsados del Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes (CETI) en base a una sanción sin respaldo legal’, 22 April 2024, available here.
[9] Radio Televisión Española, ‘Varias ONG piden revisar, de manera urgente, el procedimiento disciplinario del Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes de Melilla’, 28 May 2024, available here.
[10] Europa Press, ‘Solidary Wheels denuncia que se ha denegado la entrada al CETI Melilla a un joven marroquí, solicitante de protección’, 28 October 2024, available here.
[11] El Faro de Melilla, ‘Imbroda califica de “inhumana” la negativa del Gobierno a acoger a 14 solicitantes de asilo en el CETI’, 4 March 2025, available here; Melilla Hoy, ‘La CAM lleva a un hotel a los migrantes acampados ante el CETI por la lluvia’, 7 March 2025, available here; Melilla Hoy, ‘El Colegio de Abogados de Melilla deja claro que los migrantes acampados cerca del CETI “tienen derecho a ser acogidos” en el centro’, 7 March 2025, available here; El Faro de Melilla, ‘Migrantes en Melilla: el Gobierno promete medidas tras la polémica por su rechazo en el CETI, 10 March 2025, available here; La Vanguardia, ‘El Defensor del Pueblo insta al Ministerio a acoger a los migrantes acampados en Melilla’, 13 March 2025, available here; El Faro de Melilla, ‘Los solicitantes de asilo dejan el campamento y son trasladados a Málaga’, 14 March 2025, available here.
[12] It has to be noted that migrants and asylum seekers/persons in need of international protection can be hosted in the same facilities at the Canary Islands, and in many occasions the sources do not distinguish properly between the two categories. Maybe sources speak about migrants, but also asylum seekers/persons in need of international protection can be included in such label.
[13] El Confidencial, ‘Canarias, sin plazas para acoger menores: el próximo niño deberá quedarse en comisaría’, 1 February 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/365KHBz.
[14] ABC, ‘El traslado de migrantes desde Canarias, una ‘sacudida’ política a nivel nacional’, 27 October 2023, available at: https://shorturl.at/kMPW6; La Vanguardia, ‘Trasladan a unos 200 migrantes más desde Canarias a un hotel de Almería’, 27 October 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3OkTbs0; Hoy Aragón, ‘140 migrantes serán realojados en Zaragoza y Tarazona tras la llegada de otros 200 a Huesca’, 28 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/57y2a252; Diario de Almería, ‘Llegan 200 inmigrantes más desde Canarias, ahora a un hotel de Aguadulce’, 27 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/2s3m8m4f; Onda Cero, ‘El gobierno de España prepara un campamento para 300 migrantes en una explanada en Cartagena’, 27 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc6r4esp; La Vanguardia, ‘CyL acoge a 395 inmigrantes procedentes de Canarias en seis provincias’, 25 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/mre82exk; La Razón, ‘El Gobierno planea habilitar en terrenos militares nuevos centros de acogida para migrantes’, 20 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/47mysvun.
[15] El Diario, ‘La Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado pide solidaridad entre comunidades para un reparto equitativo de migrantes’, 7 November 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/23zkmn2y.
[16] El Diario, Un gran campamento de migrantes llamado Canarias: “Quieren convertir las islas en Lesbos”, 21 November 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3bOoZD5; El Día, ‘José Antonio Moreno Díaz: “Canarias es una válvula del Estado para medir el acceso de migrantes”, 14 November 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/2KuqURQ; El Día, ‘“Están utilizando todas las herramientas para que nadie salga del Archipiélago”’, 19 January 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/34ojXvJ.
[17] Information provided by Accem in April 2024; CEAR, ‘INFORME 2024. Las personas refugiadas en España y Europa’, June 2024, p. 97, available here.
[18] CEAR, ‘INFORME 2024. Las personas refugiadas en España y Europa’, June 2024, p. 98, available here.
[19] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘Informe anual 2023. Volumen I’, March 2024, p. 75, available here.
[20] Irídia, ‘Vulneración de derechos humanos de las personas migrantes en Canarias 2024: Criminalización, detención e infancia’, December 2024, available here.
[21] Info Migrants, ‘Canary Islands: EU to allocate funds to support hosting of migrants’, 19 September 2024, available here.
[22] Information provided by Save the Children on 11 February 2022.
[23] EASO, ‘Spanish State Secretary for Migration visits EASO following launch of new operation in the country’, 1 February 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3rgJkFA.
[24] EASO, ‘Operating plan. Special support on reception agreed by EASO and Spain’, 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/32HvuFI.
[25] EUAA; ‘Operational Plan 2023-2026 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Spain’, 12 June 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/m23pjfm7.
[26] El Salto Diario, ‘Cañada Real. Dos años a oscuras’, 26 April 2023, available at: https://rb.gy/umm0b.
[27] For more detailed information, see AIDA, ‘Country Report: Spain – Update on the year 2022’, April 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3SaHE0K.
[28] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘El Defensor exige a la Comunidad de Madrid y a la Delegación de Gobierno una solución urgente para restablecer la luz en la Cañada Real’, 21 December 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3qDSxHK.
[29] United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Spain: Power outages put children’s lives at risk in informal settlement – UN experts’, 22 December 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/2M3hz3Y.
[30] El País, “Dejar a familias en esta terrible situación es una violación de convenios que España ha ratificado”, 9 January 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3p5TaJF; El País, ‘La ONU insiste: España incumple el derecho internacional en la Cañada Real’, 18 February 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/2OX01rT.
[31] Cadena Ser, ‘El informe pericial de un juzgado concluye que Naturgy tiene limitadores eléctricos que provocan los cortes de luz en la Cañada Real’, 18 March 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3ZKo2lg.
[32] El País, ‘El Consejo de Europa insta a España a garantizar luz y calefacción a los habitantes de la Cañada Real’, 27 October 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3WAPLSX.
[33] Tele Madrid, ‘Se incumple el plazo dado por Europa para devolver la luz a la Cañada Real madrileña’, 16 december 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3YPpem3.
[34] Save the Children, ‘¡Políticos, devolved la luz a los niños y niñas de la Cañada Real!’, December 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3wkvotm.
[35] El Salto Diario, ‘La Cañada Real pide luz y futuro’, 6 January 2023, available at: https://bit.ly/3vNSXjo.
[36] El Mundo, ‘La falta de luz en la Cañada Real llega hasta El Vaticano: “El Papa no entiende que haya gente viviendo así en Madrid”’, 28 October 2024, available here.
[37] Público, ‘Sin casa, sin trabajo y sin comida: migrantes al límite en Andalucía’, 22 May 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3iD9xLj.
[38]Revista la Mar de Onuba, ‘Nuevas detenciones en el entorno agrario por explotación laboral de trabajadores en condiciones de esclavitud’, 27 May 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3sHpB3g.
[39] Iustel, ‘I Plan Estratégico para la erradicación de asentamientos informales y la inclusión social de personas residentes en zonas agrícolas de Andalucía conformados por población migrante’, 1 August 2023, available at: https://rb.gy/i85kb.
[40] Huleva Información, ‘Dos millones de euros para erradicar asentamientos en Lepe, Moguer y Lucena del Puerto’, 5 January 2024, available here.
[41] Europa Press, ‘La Junta y el Ministerio de Inclusión se reúnen para abordar el primer plan de erradicación de asentamientos’, 29 May 2024, available here.
[42] Canal Sur, ‘Almería Acoge alerta de la extrema precariedad en los asentamientos chabolistas de Níjar’, 11 November 2024, available here.
[43] Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía – APDHA, ‘APDHA constata en su Informe Frontera Sur 2025 “graves vulneraciones de los Derechos Humanos en los asentamientos de trabajadores migrantes de Almería y Huelva”’, 21 January 2025, available here.
[44] Gente Digital, ‘Sumar registra una pregunta en el Congreso sobre los asentamientos tras la muerte de un migrante en Lucena’, 27 January 2025, available here.