Migration and Asylum in Spain – 2025
Irregular Migration in Spain
- A report published by the Funcas Research Center in 2025 indicates that irregular migration in Spain has increased significantly in recent years.
- The estimated number of non-EU nationals living in an irregular situation increased from 107,000 in 2017 to 840,000 in 2025.
- These figures are estimates based on official administrative data such as the municipal register (Padrón) and data on valid residence permits.
Total Irregular Arrivals
- 2025: 36,775 migrants
- 2024: 64,019 migrants
- Change: −42.6%
Trend in Recent Years
- 2018 (peak): 64,298 arrivals
- 2023: more than 56,800 arrivals
- 2024: more than 63,900 arrivals
- 2025: 36,775 arrivals
Sea Arrivals
- 2025: 32,925 migrants
- 2024: 61,372 migrants
- Change: −46.4%
- Arrivals were recorded on 1,235 boats
Canary Islands Route
- 2025: 17,788 migrants
- 2024: 46,843 migrants
- Change: −62%
- Arrivals took place on 263 boats
Mainland Spain
- 2025: 7,787 migrants
- Change: −9.4%
Balearic Islands
- 2025: 7,321 migrants
- 2024: 5,882 migrants
- Change: +24.5%
- Number of boats increased from 349 to 401
Land Arrivals (Ceuta and Melilla)
- 2025: 3,850 migrants
- 2024: 2,647 migrants
- Change: +45.4%
- Ceuta: 3,523
- Melilla: 327
Legal Migration in Spain
Main Nationalities of Incoming Migrants
- Colombia: 36,600 migrants
- Venezuela: 27,000 migrants
- Morocco: 22,000 migrants
- Algeria: 18,500 migrants
- Italy: 15,800 migrants
Asylum Seekers in Spain (enero – marzo 2026)
1. Total international protection
The number of applications registered from the beginning of the year until the end of March reached 42,530 applications.
- Men: 23,392 applications.
- Women: 19,138 applications.
2. Main applicant nationalities
The following countries topped the list of applicants during the first quarter of 2026:
- Venezuela: 15,120 applications.
- Colombia: 12,450 applications.
- Peru: 3,890 applications.
- Morocco: 1,215 applications.
- Honduras: 980 applications.
3. Application locations (most pressured regions)
- Madrid: 14,200 applications.
- Andalusia: 5,320 applications.
- Catalonia: 4,890 applications.
- Valencian Community: 3,110 applications.
4. Outcomes of decisions (resolutions)
Approximately 28,400 cases were processed during this period, with the following results:
- Refugee status granted: 1,250 decisions (4.4%).
- Subsidiary protection: 840 decisions (3%).
- Humanitarian reasons: 12,650 decisions (mainly for Venezuelan nationals) (44.5%).
- Rejections: 13,660 decisions (48.1%).
5. Temporary protection
Spain recorded 1,150 new temporary protection applications in March alone, mostly from people fleeing active armed conflict zones.