On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Spain LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Spain country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Spain COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Spain.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Spain is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Spain has been a signatory of the 1951 Geneva Convention and its Protocol since 1978. Spain acceded to the UN Statelessness Conventions in 1997 and 2018 and established a statelessness determination procedure in 2001.
The right to asylum is recognized in article 13.4 of the Spanish Constitution, referring to the protection provided to non-EU nationals or stateless persons who are recognized as refugees under the terms established in Law 12/2009, of October 30, regulating the Right to Asylum and Subsidiary Protection and the international legal texts mentioned above.
Refugee status is recognized for any person who, due to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, belonging to a certain social group, gender or sexual orientation, is outside the country of their nationality. and cannot or, due to said fears, does not want to avail himself of the protection of that country, or the stateless person who, lacking nationality and being outside the country where he previously had his habitual residence, for the same reasons cannot or, due to said fears, does not want to return to it, and is not involved in any of the causes of exclusion, denial or revocation established in Law 12/2009, of October 30, regulating the Right to Asylum and Subsidiary Protection.
The right to subsidiary protection is the one granted to people from other countries and to stateless persons who, without meeting the requirements to obtain asylum or be recognized as refugees, but with respect to whom reasonable grounds are given to believe that if they were to return to their country of origin in the case of nationals or, that of their previous habitual residence in the case of stateless persons, they would face a real risk of suffering any of the serious damages provided for in Law 12/2009, of October 30, regulating the Right of Asylum and Subsidiary Protection, and who cannot or, due to said risk, do not want to, avail themselves of the protection of the country in question, provided that there are no grounds for exclusion or refusal established in the aforementioned Law.
The protection granted with the right of asylum and subsidiary protection consists of the non-refoulement or expulsion of persons who have been recognized, as well as the adoption of the measures contemplated in Spanish regulations, that of the European Union and in international conventions ratified by Spain.
Legal aid organisations
Website
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Address: Calle Valenzuela 10, 1 Izqda, 28014, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 53 27 478 or extend 9
Fax: +34 91 53 22 059
Email: accem@accem.es
ACCEM is an NGO that provides support and services to refugees and immigrants in Spain, advocates for equal rights for immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. Its website provides information about the asylum process and has a legal forum for questions.
Website
Address: Carrer de la Princesa, 14, 1º. 08003, Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera-Born, Barcelona or Carrer Jaén, 18-20, 08260, Sant Vicenç dels Horts, Barcelona
Tel: + 34 93 31 98 869 or +34 93 65 63 870
Fax: +34 93 310 75 08
Email: bayt-al-thaqafa@redacoge.org
Thaqafa Al-Bayt Foundation is an NGO that aims to facilitate social and cultural integration of immigrants into society without losing their own identity. They also promote the exchange and dialogue between different cultures. The organisation offers reception, information, guidance and advice to newly arrived immigrants on issues that affect the process of integration into society upon arrival. Moreover, it offers language courses and official certifications. It also offers a legal service to immigrants and refugees. All the services offered by the foundation are free of charge.
Website
Address: Plaza de la Acogida, 1, 41020, Sevilla
Tel:+34 95 45 29 685
Fax:+34 95 45 29 197
Email: car.sevilla@meyss.es
CAR is an organisationt that provides accommodation, food, urgent psychosocial care, primary education and other social services to facilitate the coexistence and integration in the community of people seeking asylum in Spain. In addition the organization provides assistance to individuals applying for the refugee status who are displaced in Spain and who lack the financial means to meet their needs and those of their family.
Website
Address: Avenida General Perón 32, 2ºD, 28020, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 598 05 35
Tel: +34 91 598 05 92
Fax: +34 91 597 23 61
Email: nuria.diaz@cear.es
Contact person: Nuria Díaz
The Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) is a non-profit organization founded in 1979. Its character is volunteer, humanitarian, independent and plural. CEAR was founded based on strong ethical values, such as justice, solidarity, freedom, equality, plurality, transparency and coherence. Their mission is to defend and promote human rights and the complete development of refugees, stateless persons and migrants who are in need of international protection and/or exposed to social exclusion.
CEAR articulates its work through two essential strategic guidelines:
- Social intervention model (legal department, sheltering department, social department, training and employment department).
- Advocacy/Social impact and participation model (impact, awareness and management of knowledge, social networks and movements, international strategy, intercultural coexistence, volunteer work and social participation)
These strategies are complementary and mutually dependent. They have been designed to defend the right to access asylum and Human Rights; to help eradicating the causes behind coerced movement; to defend inclusive migration policies that respect Human Rights; to promote universal citizenship for all individuals, access to all their rights and the opportunity to enjoy them completely; to encourage critical-thinking and committed citizenship towards the building of a more equal planet where intercultural coexistence is possible.
On a regional level, you can find CEAR offices here.
Website
Address: C/ Santa Engracia, 1400. 28003, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 55 31 873 or +34 91 22 03 883
Email:
coordinacion@asociacionkaribu.org
Karibu Association is focused on immigrants and refugees arriving from Sub-Saharan Africa and promotes recognition and defends the fundamental rights of immigrants and refugees. It provides clothing, food, temporary accomodation as well as legal services and job training.
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: C/ Cea Bermúdez, 43, 3º B 28003, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 56 33 779
Fax: + 34 91 55 03 114
Email: acoge@redacoge.org
The Red Acoge is a federation of 17 independent organizations spread around Spain. It was established in 1991 in order to promote the rights of migrants in Spain. The federation helps migrants to integrate into the Spanish society, especially those at risk of exclusion, such as refugees. The organisation helps migrants to integrate into the Spanish society, especially those at risk of exclusion, such as refugees. The organisation works to facilitate and provide migrants and refugees access across Spain to social services, such as health, housing, education, cultural, among others.
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: C/ Luchana, 36-4º dcha, 28010, Madrid
Tel: +34 91 44 72 960 or +34 91 44 72 872
Fax: +34 91 44 72 323
Email: rescate@ongrescate.org
Contact person: Berta Muñoz Aljaro
Email: berta.munoz@ongrescate.org
Contact person: Aurora Gonzalez Conde
Email: aurora.conde@ongrescate.org
Provides legal advice and practical help to asylum seekers.
Website
Address: Avinguda Parallel 202, Barcelona 08015
Tel: +34 93 25 62 700
Email: saierinfo@bcn.cat
SAIER is a municipal service that provides information and advice to asylum seekers living in Barcelona. Barcelona City Council is the joint manager of this free, public, specialized service, together with other associations in the city. One of the main services provided by SAIER is legal advice and document processing in relation to asylum issues. They also offer advice on applications for residence and work permits, family reunification, residence permits for students and applications for naturalisation and studying.
Website
Address: Plaza de San Francisco, 1. 03300, Orihuela, Alicante
Tel: +34 966 74 57 31
Email: vegabaja.acoge@redacoge.org
Vega Baja Acoge provides personal advice on legal matters by legal professionals, specialised in different subjects, through individual examination of each situation; likewise the administrative or judicial proceedings are dealt to the needs of each case. The legal service of the organisation ensures scrupulous respect for fundamental human rights.
Website
Email: contact@w2eu.info or w2eu_info@yahoo.com
Welcome to Europe might be useful on their journey to and through Europe by giving access to counseling and useful contacts in different European countries.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Website
Address: C/ Reina Victoria, 26 E-28003, Madrid
Tel: +34 913354288
Fax: +34 913354500
Email: jasanriv@cruzroja.es
Tel: +34 693 563 529 (Administration), + 34 613 084 385 (Communication and press), +34 693 287 323 (Service of Attention and Denunciation)
Spain LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Spain.
Spain COI
Find Spain Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023
