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ARCHIVED - Around 25,000 Ukrainian refugees have already arrived in Spain
Only 10,000 refugees have thus far registered with the authorities in Spain
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, some 25,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Spain, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed this week, although so far, only around 10,000 of them have registered with the authorities.
All Ukrainians arriving in Spain are protected under the European directive and are entitled to automatic residency, as well as a work permit if they are of legal age. Displaced persons granted temporary protection can also legally use their driving licences in Spain for a year.
According to Migration Minister José Lués Escrivá, many Ukrainians are currently staying with family and friends and simply haven’t had a chance to register in Spain yet.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 3.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded, with the vast majority seeking safety in neighbouring Poland; large numbers have also flocked to Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
Of the 10,260 protection orders which have been processed so far, Madrid (2,751), the Valencian Community (1,788), Catalonia (1,252) and Andalucía (1,206) are the regions which have received the most requests.
Refugees can register at the reception centres established in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), at the City of Light in Alicante and in the Fira de Barcelona, as well as any of the 54 National Police stations authorised across Spain.
More than just Ukrainians
Of course, Ukraine isn’t the only country from which migrants arrive, and Spain has registered 50,000 irregular immigrants from Morocco in just 11 months. Unlike the Ukrainian refugees, Moroccans aren’t automatically entitled to residency and Spain has this week resumed repatriation flights from the Canary Islands to the capital of Rabat.
In May 2021, some 10,000 migrants stormed the border at the north African enclave of Ceuta and just this month, Melilla experienced the largest ever border breach attempt.
These mass fleeing episodes aside, during June, July and August last year, between 3,000 and 4,000 irregular immigrants arrived in Spain each month, a rise of up to 60% compared to the previous year. The figures surged in September, when more than 8,200 migrants landed on Spanish soil but it was nothing compared to December 2021, when authorities registered the arrival of 11,655 illegal citizens.
Image: Unicef
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