More asylum applications, same reception? The reception system in Spain since 2015

Abstract

This paper examines the main challenges and limits of the state reception and integration system. Since the so-called refugee crisis of 2015, Spain has become one of the European countries that receives most asylum seekers. The growing demand for international protection has shown the limits of the state’s reception and integration provision. Inadequate resources, a rigid integration pathway and a lack of coordination between local and regional actors have hampered the effectiveness of the reception and integration system, seriously jeopardising its capacity to meet applicants’ needs. Those in the most vulnerable situations have been most affected. The paper concludes by suggesting possible improvement pathways to guarantee a system that is fit to meet the new migration challenges.

Keywords

• spain
• asylum and refuge
• international protection
• reception and integration system
• integration policies