Asylum Requests from Colombians and Peruvians in Spain Drop Sharply following New Immigration โRegulations
Madrid – Asylum applicationsโข from Colombians and Peruvians โคin โSpain have experienced a dramatic decline in recent months, coinciding with the implementation of newโค immigrationโ regulations aimed at streamlining legal pathways to residency. While overall asylum requests have increased due โขto rises from countries like Somalia and Mali, the number of applications from these two South American nations has fallen considerably, signaling a shift in migratory patterns.
The Spanish government attributes the changeโ to the โขsuccess of the new rules in encouraging migrants to pursue regular residency permits rather than asylum claims. Prior to the reforms,โฃ Spain saw a surge in asylum applications, โmany considered economic migrants exploiting the system.โฃ The recent data suggests theโ updated regulations are redirecting individuals towards establishedโ legal channels,but also raises questions about whether genuine โคasylum seekers from Colombia and Peru are being discouraged or facing increased barriers.
Data reveals a starkโค contrast in overall trends.While applications from Somalia have more than quadrupled – rising from 144 to 626 – and those from โMali increased byโข 72.01% due to escalating violence in the Sahel โregion, โthe number of asylum requests from โColombians and Peruvians has โplummeted. The government reports a nearly 50% increase in regular residency applications, jumping from 495,000 before the reform to 724,000 by the โคend โขof October.
Officials defend the โฃnew regulation,โ stating it is successfully redirecting migratory flows towards legal channels, specifically initial, renewal, and long-term residence authorizations.This shift comes as Spain grapples with managing migration flows โand addressing concerns about the strain on its asylum system.
