A decade without asylum regulations in Spain: Divergent obstacles and interpretations

Abstract

This paper reviews the consequences of the lack of approval of the Asylum Regulation in Spain, specifically with regard to family reunification, requests made at diplomatic missions, border processing time, the right to stay for humanitarian reasons, the protection of people in situations of particular vulnerability, legal assistance and freedom of movement for asylum seekers from Ceuta and Melilla to travel to the peninsula. Two types of situations are identified whose origins lie in the lack of regulatory development of the 2009 law. On the one hand, delays and difficulties have resulted in the application of certain legal dispositions, while in other areas divergent interpretations by different actors have occurred (the administration, courts, ombudsman).

Keywords

• Spain
• regulatory law on the right to asylum
• regulatory development
• fundamental rights