Venezuelan asylum Applications Surge โin Spainโฃ Following New Regulations
Madrid, spain – Asylum applications in Spain have seen a notable increase from Venezuelan nationals as new immigration regulations took effect on May 20th. Statistics reveal aโ 23.69% rise in applications from this group, โคlargely attributed to the โขhigh rate ofโฃ denials for โคinternational protection coupled with a near-universal granting of residence permits on humanitarian grounds (98% in 2024).
The shift is โคseen โby experts โas a direct consequence of the regulatoryโ changes.โ Mauricioโฃ Valiente, co-director โฃof the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistanceโ (CEAR), believes the data demonstrates a “millimeter relationship” โwith the reform and its intended “deterrence” effect on asylum seekers, which he describes as “unfair.”
Valiente โคsuggests a โคcontributing factor is a change in migratory patterns, with Venezuelans previously considering routes โขto the โฃUnited โคStates now “reorienting theirโฃ decision” in response to what he calls “the outsourcing strategy” employed byโ Donald Trump.
While applications from Venezuela are up,requestsโค fromโ other nationalities have substantially decreased.โฃ Colombiaโ has experienced a โ68.60% drop in asylum applications, falling from 16,967 in 2024 to 5,328โ this year. Peru hasโข seen an even more dramatic decline, with a 72.63% decrease fromโ 4,413 to 1,208โข applications.
A key element โof the new regulations impacts the length of โคtime spent in Spain while an asylum โขrequest is pending. Previously, โthisโฃ time couldโฃ be counted towardsโฃ fulfilling residency requirements should the application beโฃ denied. Now, that time no longer contributes to the “roots” requirement forโ a residence permit.
This means asylum seekers who have resided and worked legally in Spain for months or even years, only to have their applications rejected, โwillโ fall into an irregular immigration statusโ and face a mandatory wait of at least twoโ additional years beforeโฃ becoming eligible for legal โresidency. This change has been widely criticized by NGOs as discriminatory.
Sixโ months after implementation, data confirms the new regulations are already having โa measurable impact on asylum application trends in Spain.