PROPERTY SEARCH
PROPERTY SEARCH
ARCHIVED - Automatic residence for Ukrainians in Spain, including existing expats
The government in Spain will also give temporary protection to foreigners living in Ukraine
The Spanish government will automatically grant residence and work permits and offer health, education, accommodation and financial support to Ukrainians who are in an irregular situation in Spain.
On Tuesday March 8, the Council Ministers agreed to include Ukrainians in the 2001 Temporary Automatic Protection Directive which the Council of Ministers of the Interior of the EU activated for the very first time last week.
As of January 1 2021, the INE counted 111,430 registered Ukrainians in Spain; of them, 95,000 had obtained residency by the end of June, meaning that around 16,000 were residing in the country irregularly. However, government spokesperson Isabel Rodríguez said this week the exact figure is impossible to know, since “they are not registered anywhere”.
The government is working to get this directive in place as quickly as possible so that refugees who arrive in Spain can establish their legal rights in a way which is “simple and fast”.
You might also like: Murcia offers 1,200 places to fleeing Ukrainian refugees
The directive will also extend to third country nationals who were resident in Ukraine at the time of the invasion on February 24 so that their protection can be guaranteed, according to Ms Rodríguez.
The directive was first approved after the Balkan war and its main objective is to prevent the asylum system from collapsing during times of crisis. Without the directive, asylum seekers only get residency rights once they have been granted official refugee status; now, they will automatically be granted international protection status without cases having to be analysed one by one, which greatly speeds up the process.
Ukrainians arriving in Spain can avail themselves of residency and work permits that are initially valid for a year, access to education, medical assistance, social assistance, accommodation and financial support.
Image: UNICEF
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
