Spain is planning to reform its refugee legislation to align it with European Union standards.
According to the newspaper El País, citing an internal government document, the changes will take effect within the next 18 months.
Faster processing of applications
Applications submitted at the border will be processed within 12 weeks (compared to the previous timeline of up to two years).
Applications submitted within Spain will be reviewed within six months.
New deportation procedure
Introduction of special procedures to expedite the return of individuals whose asylum requests are denied.
Expanded grounds for detention
Asylum seekers may be detained to facilitate their relocation to other EU countries under the “solidarity distribution” mechanism.
Combating system abuse
The law restricts the use of the asylum system by economic migrants seeking better living conditions rather than protection from persecution.
Strengthening the concept of “Safe country”
This allows for the automatic rejection of applications from citizens of certain countries, such as Morocco or Colombia, without individual case review.
