The Diplomat
The Council of Ministers yesterday pledged to participate in plans for temporary protection and equitable sharing among EU member states in the event of a mass influx of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.
“In view of the current war conflict in Ukraine, and the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian people who are leaving the country, the Spanish Government declares its firm and unwavering commitment to support the Ukrainian people,” states the Institutional Declaration in Solidarity with the Citizens of Ukraine, approved yesterday by the Government at the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Therefore, the Executive of Pedro Sánchez “is committed to ensure their welfare and meet their needs, both with respect to those Ukrainian citizens who are in our country, as well as those who may arrive in the coming days”.
Specifically, “the Spanish Government undertakes to align itself with the decision adopted by the Council of the European Union regarding the possible granting of temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and measures to promote an equitable effort among Member States to receive such persons and to assume the consequences of their reception”.
The quota of refugees that could correspond to Spain will depend on the decision taken by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU -which will meet between tomorrow and Friday in Brussels- regarding the application of the directive on “temporary protection for these cases of mass influx of displaced persons”, as explained the Government spokesperson minister, Isabel Rodriguez, in the press conference after the Council. “From minute one”, Ukrainians arriving in our country “taking advantage of this directive” will be treated as citizens “with the right to a job”, she added.
With regard to Ukrainian citizens currently living in Spain, “the necessary measures will be adopted to ensure that they can stay and work in our country, have access to health and educational care, as well as the corresponding social assistance,” the text adds. Therefore, the more than 110,000 Ukrainians legally residing in Spain will not be obliged to renew their permits in order to continue enjoying these rights.
For the time being, and pending the decision of the EU Council, the Office of Asylum and Refuge (OAR), under the Ministry of the Interior, has stopped processing asylum applications with unfavorable results for Ukrainian citizens, according to Interior sources informed the Europa Press agency. According to OAR data, between January and December 2021, 1,335 applications for international protection of Ukrainian citizens were admitted, 568 of which were resolved favorably. Ukraine ranks thirteenth among the countries with the most applications for international protection in Spain in 2021, within a list headed by Venezuela with 15,090 applications.
