Spain exceeds 168,000 temporary protections for Ukrainian refugees one year after the start of the Russian invasion

2023.2.22

  • x: opens new window
  • Whatsapp: opens new window
  • Linkedin: opens new window
  • Send: opens new window

A total of 63% of the people who have obtained this temporary protection are women (105,998) and 37% are men (62,133). By age group, 33% are under 18; 25.5% are between 19 and 35; 34.5% are between 36 and 64; and 7% are over 65.

Moreover, the majority of those granted temporary protection, 98.2%, are Ukrainian nationals, while the remaining 1.8% are citizens of other nationalities who were legally residing in Ukraine when the war broke out.

The Valencian Community (45,379), Catalonia (38,616), Andalucia (24,002), and Madrid (23,646) are the autonomous communities where most temporary protection has been processed and granted.

These figures place Spain among the European countries that have granted the most protection to citizens and residents from Ukraine. This protection entitles the holder to travel throughout the national territory and to return to Ukraine, so it is not currently possible to determine the number of people that have stayed in Spain within the National Reception System.

First activation of the European directive

The granting of temporary protection has been made possible thanks to the urgent mechanism put in place by the Government of Spain on 10 March 2022 in compliance with the EU agreement which, for the first time in history, authorised the application of the Temporary Protection Directive.

The mechanism, activated by the Office for Asylum and Refugees (OAR) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is quick and easy and grants temporary protection to refugees within 24 hours of their application.

The procedure begins at the National Police stations throughout the country and at the authorised reception centres, where National Police officers supported by interpreters are responsible for taking identification data from Ukrainian citizens. The application is then processed by the OAR of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is resolved within 24 hours.

Temporary refuge includes a residence permit and always, for adults, a work permit. Additionally, and under the provisions of the Directorate-General for Traffic, displaced persons that have been granted temporary protection can legally use their driving licences in Spain for at least one year.

Non official translation

More Info

Tags: