More than 144,000 people applied for international protection in 2025, according to the Annual Report of the Forum for the Social Integration of Migrants

The Forum for the Social Integration of Migrants (FISI) has presented its 2025 Annual Report at the headquarters of the European Commission's Representation in Spain. The figures show that applications for international protection totalled 144,396 in 2025, representing a slight decrease compared with 2024 (167,366). Despite the figures, the upward trend continues, placing Spain third in the EU in terms of the number of applications, accounting for 17% of the total.

The Secretary of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela, who opened the event to present the report, stated that "the applications for international protection recorded in 2025 place us at the forefront of European operational management and confirm the growing trend of people seeking protection in our country".

An analysis of all the asylum applications processed shows that the top four nationalities are Venezuela, Mali, Colombia and Peru.

Furthermore, in 2025, 7,838 refugee statuses were granted, mainly to nationals of Nicaragua, Colombia, Afghanistan and Honduras.

Spain continues to be a key player on the European Union's southern external border, both in terms of migration and asylum.

The year 2025 was marked by the full entry into force of the new Immigration Regulations approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024 and by the transition towards the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

New Immigration Regulations

One of the key events of 2025 was the entry into force in May of the new Immigration Regulations, approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, which have had a very positive impact. Applications for residence permits rose by around 50% (from 495,000 applications submitted up to 20 May 2025 to 724,000 applications submitted as at 31 October).

In addition, 95,000 people regularised their status through one of the various settlement pathways, and 102,000 applications for residence were submitted on behalf of relatives of Spanish citizens, as well as 93,000 applications on the grounds of studies.

Labour market

With regard to the situation of foreign nationals in the labour market, the data suggest that the employment of migrants and Spanish nationals is complementary, rather than competitive. Foreign nationals are employed in occupational groups where Spanish employment is declining, and many opt for self-employment. Their work is concentrated in sectors such as domestic care, agriculture and livestock farming, construction, garment manufacturing and accommodation services.

Among the recommendations set out in the FISI Report, one that stands out is the need to take measures to prevent initial labour market complementarity from becoming structural, by promoting training in occupations where the foreign population is under-represented.

The over-qualification rate among non-EU migrants under the age of 35 reaches 51.1% - more than twenty percentage points higher than the rate for Spanish nationals, which stands at 31.2%. This represents a loss of human capital that comes at a real cost to the economy and social cohesion.

Women of foreign nationality have a stronger presence in the labour market than Spanish women, yet they are concentrated in the lowest-paying occupations. 54.8% of women who are nationals of third countries are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The report makes specific recommendations on employment and equality policies.

Access to housing

Access to housing remains a major obstacle to the social integration of immigrants. In the report, FISI highlights that many estate agents engage in discriminatory practices, and that rates of residential exclusion among non-EU nationals exceed 47%.

Access to public services

The report states that the migrant population faces obstacles in exercising rights such as access to healthcare, registration with local authorities, reporting crimes safely, the recognition of qualifications and access to education. This situation is exacerbated by narratives that distort the reality regarding the use of public services.

In recent years, false claims have been circulating that portray migrants as abusing public services and social benefits; however, the report describes the opposite situation: the difficulties many people face in accessing rights to which they are legally entitled.

Distorted narratives exacerbate these difficulties and contribute to under-reporting, hindering the prosecution of criminal acts such as racism and xenophobia. Furthermore, online hate speech tends to be directed disproportionately at migrants. The Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) reports that over 740,000 instances of racist and xenophobic content were detected in 2025, with 45% of this content aiming to dehumanise people of foreign origin.

Education system

Disparities between the children of migrants and young people with parents born in Spain are most evident regarding university education; only 28% of children of migrants go on to university, compared to 43% of children from native-born families. The report states that parents' administrative status should not limit their children's right to education and social advancement.

The FISI report recommends intensifying language learning and encouraging the participation of migrant children in the first cycle of early childhood education during the initial stages of their educational journey.

Schools serve not only as spaces for academic learning but also as key environments for fostering intercultural coexistence and equal opportunities for all students, with particular attention paid to those of migrant origin. The report shows that integration does not happen automatically: it requires resources, structural policies and the active recognition of diversity as a value.

Non official translation