In 2023, Spain’s Office of Asylum and Residency (OAR) achieved a remarkable milestone by resolving 92,963 cases, which included granting temporary protection to over 33,900 individuals displaced by the Russian occupation of Ukraine. This also involved resolving 1,022 statuses of stateless persons, emphasizing Spain’s commitment to international protection.
Throughout the same year, the Interior Ministry’s OAR received an all-time high of 163,218 applications for international protection, indicating a 37% increase from the previous year and marking the highest number since the establishment of the office in 1992. Spain now stands as the third highest recipient of applications for international protection within the European Union, according to provisional data as of December 31.
Breaking down the numbers by nationality, Venezuela topped the list with 60,534 applications, followed by Colombia with 53,564 and Peru with 14,306. These three countries accounted for 78.6% of all applications processed. Similarly, Madrid led in international protection applications with 52,684 submissions, followed by Andalusia and Catalonia.
A record 7,521 refugee statuses were granted, with the top five nationalities receiving status being Afghanistan, Syria, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Honduras. Additionally, 41,478 citizens, mainly Venezuelans, received one-year residence and work permits for humanitarian reasons. The recognition rates for refugee status and subsidiary protection stood at 12.23%, with an overall international protection rate of 56.85% in Spain.
Furthermore, 953 applications were submitted for recognition of stateless person status in 2023, out of which 1,022 cases were resolved, highlighting Spain’s adherence to international laws and conventions.
In addition to international protection efforts, the OAR extended temporary protection to 33,928 individuals, bringing the total number of Spanish residents covered by this measure due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to nearly 195,000. Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, commended Spain’s “extraordinary effort” in international protection, recognizing the historic milestone of surpassing 163,000 applications in 2023.
This record-breaking number reflects a significant increase of 3,500% in applications compared to 2013, demonstrating Spain’s commitment to providing sanctuary and support to individuals seeking international protection within its borders.
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