Spain: National report on the reception and integration system for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection

This 2022 Spanish National report on the reception and integration system for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection (ABIP), produced by CIDOB, analyses the results of the National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM) project. NIEM is an initiative funded by The European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Visegrad Fund that has developed a mechanism for the comprehensive evaluation of the integration of beneficiaries of international protection.

This report - after outlining the 173 indicators used to analyse the degree of preparedness of reception systems for such new migratory challenges as the flow of refugees from Ukraine - tackles the recent evolution of the Spanish reception system when facing humanitarian emergencies, until the end of 2021. It considers in particular the COVID-19 pandemic and the main strengths and weaknesses of the system in response to this.

The report observes that despite the European Union’s attempts to guarantee a minimum standard of reception across EU countries, the fate of migrants and refugees is still dependent upon the individual actions of each Member State. According to its findings, although in general systems of reception have advanced and favourable juridic frameworks, they have yet to be implemented on a practical level. For instance, Spain - alongside Hungary and Italy - shows no significative positive evolution in this respect.

Two chapters of the report also take an intersectional and multidimensional perspective, delving into the main obstacles facing two vulnerable groups in integration systems: LGBTQI applicants and beneficiaries of international protection. It also examines the situation of those individuals denied asylum who can no longer access the system of reception - through the removal of relevant permits, for example - and have been driven into social exclusion.