The Diplomat
The Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) has praised the implementation of the temporary protection system for Ukrainian refugees, an example that, “when there is political will, things can be done differently,” and has called for this measure “to be applied if necessary in other humanitarian emergencies.”
According to the report More than figures, presented this past Tuesday by CEAR and which collects the annual balance corresponding to last year, Spain experienced in 2021 a clear improvement in terms of recognition of international protection, with a percentage of 10.5% which doubled the 5% of the previous year. However, this percentage is well below the European average, which is 35%, according to data from the EU Asylum Agency, despite the fact that, “for the second consecutive year, the number of applicants fell to 65,404 people, largely due to the entry restrictions imposed by the pandemic, especially at air borders.”
The balance sheet also reflects that in 2021 there was greater variety in the nationalities of people seeking protection in Spain, although Latin Americans accounted for half of the top ten countries of origin. Venezuela and Colombia were once again at the top of the list, with 15,995 and 11,567 applications, respectively, but Morocco (6,536), Mali (4,647), Senegal (3,198) or Afghanistan (1,622), which considerably increased the number of requests following the coming to power of the Taliban in August, also stood out.
Of the total of 69,891 resolutions in 2021, only 7,371 were favorable, according to CEAR. On the positive side was the high percentage of favorable applications for people from Mali, with more than 82%. On the negative side, Colombia, Honduras or El Salvador stood out, with more than 90% of unfavorable resolutions despite the high rates of violence suffered by many people in these countries. In addition, last year 12,983 people were granted protection on humanitarian grounds, almost 99% of them from Venezuela, although it was also extended to people from Ukraine, Colombia or Peru, among others. CEAR’s publication also shows that fewer and fewer people from Syria, Yemen or Palestine apply for asylum in Spain, due to the transit visa policy that our country continues to impose on people from these countries, despite the fact that they suffer situations of prolonged conflict.
CEAR also recalls that thousands of Ukrainians have fled their country since 2014, especially from the Dombas region, even before the current conflict broke out. In this period, according to the report, more than 16,000 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Spain. Last year, 1,037 Ukrainians applied for asylum in our country and the recognition rate, without taking into account humanitarian reasons, stood at 24%.
Since February 2022, when the Russian invasion began, more than 70,000 people have already obtained temporary protection in Spain or have started the procedures, according to data from the Minister of Inclusion and Migration, José Luis Escrivá. This has been possible thanks to the activation, for the first time in history, of the temporary protection system by the EU Council. “It is clear that when there is political will, things can be done differently,” stated Paloma Favieres, CEAR’s Director of Policies and Campaigns. “We hope that this measure will be applied if necessary in other humanitarian emergencies caused by conflicts or other reasons that provoke large forced displacements,” she added.
