Walter Finch
ASYLUM seekers from ‘safe countries’ could have their applications automatically dismissed under a raft of tough new rules being drafted by Spain.
The overhaul, detailed in government documents seen by El Pais, will replace the current 2009 asylum law with stricter measures designed to process applications faster and increase deportations of rejected applicants.
Applications made at the border will have to be processed within 12 weeks – a dramatic reduction from the current two-year waiting period. Applications made within Spain, meanwhile, will face a six-month deadline.
The changes come as Spain grapples with more than 150,000 asylum applications annually, with a surprising 80% of applicants arriving by air from Latin America rather than by boat like in Italy and Greece.
Interior Ministry officials will now process deportation paperwork simultaneously with asylum applications, creating a new legal framework specifically for rejected applicants.
The reforms will also expand the controversial ‘safe country’ concept, potentially allowing automatic rejection of applications from nations Spain deems secure – such as Morocco or Colombia – without individual case reviews.
Refugee organisations have expressed alarm at the planned changes.
Mauricio Valiente, director general of CEAR, warned the new system appears designed to ‘get rid of rejected applicants as quickly as possible.’
The Red Acoge advocacy network criticised the government for excluding refugee organisations from the planning process, with spokesperson Natalia Slepoy noting that ‘rights-based approaches are completely absent’ from the 42-page implementation plan.
While the Interior Ministry insists the changes ‘will not reduce legal guarantees or rights,’ the reforms face potential challenges in Spain’s fractured parliament, where immigration consensus remains elusive.
The implementation will not come cheap, requiring a significant hiring spree for extra Policia Nacional and Asylum Office personnel, alongside increased funding for interpreters and training – though exact figures remain undetermined.
These changes mark Spain’s most significant asylum reform in 15 years, as Brussels pushes for standardised migration controls across the European Union.
