CEAR is a Spanish nonprofit that has provided assistance to over 300,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants over the last 10 years. It offers legal assistance, reception services including accommodations, psychological services, employment programs, and advocacy. CEAR processes asylum applications and provides international protection to refugees fleeing persecution as well as others unable to safely return to their home countries. However, the EU's response to the refugee crisis, including relocation programs, has faced significant delays in implementation due to lack of political will among member states.

1. RIGHT OF ASYLUM
AND
REFUGEES IN SPAIN

2. What we do in CEAR
• CEAR, Spanish Commission for Refugees funded in 1979, independent and
humanitarian action organization, more than 37 years of history
• Our mission: to protect refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people and
vulnerable migrants
• We provide: legal, social and reception services free of charge
• In the last 10 years CEAR provided assistance to more than 300.000
refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants

3. What we do in CEAR?
Legal Services
• We provide free of charge legal advice to asylum seekers, refugees,
stateless people (people without nationality)
• Legal assistance in Detention Centers (CIE), Temporary Stay Centers in
Ceuta and Melilla, Airport border points,…
• Appeals before courts of justice (High Court of Justice, Supreme Court…)

4. What we do in CEAR?
Reception Services
• Reception Centres and facilities in: Bilbao, Valencia, Madrid, Málaga,
Barcelona y Canary Islands
• We offer reception facilities to more than 500 people annually during an
average period of 6 months
• Our aim: not only reception and expenses support but also to improve
personal autonomy, dignity and assure the well-being of refugees.
• In the last 10 years, CEAR has accomodated nearly 6.000 people in its
Reception Centers.

5. CEAR Refugee Centre in Madrid

6. What we do in CEAR?
Psychological services
• We provide psychological services to victims of torture or human rights
violations
Programs to promote the employment of refugees
• To boost empowerment and self-reliance of asylum seekers, refugees and
vulnerable migrants through employment
• To foster integration in the job market
• To promote equality in the job market and the quality of the employment of
refugees and asylum seekers

7. What we do in CEAR?
Advocacy
• What is advocacy?
 Actions to influence decisions at the political and institutional level
Few examples:
- Publishing research: annual report on situation of refugees in Spain
- Campaigns (using media and social networks)
- Meetings with Members of the Congress and political parties in Spain
- Public speaking in media

8. Who does Spain offer International Protection
to?
• To refugees: those with a well founded fear of being persecuted in their
country for reasons of
- Ethnic group
- Religion
- Nationality
- Political opinions
- Gender or sexual orientation
- Belonging to a particular social group

9. Who does Spain offer International Protection
to?
• Foreigners who are not refugees but who can’t return to their country of
origin for reasons which imply a risk of suffering any of the following:
- Death sentence
- Torture or inhuman or degrading treatment
- Serious threats against their life or integrity by reason of indiscriminate
violence
• These people will be granted subsidiary protection (a different protection
from refugee status, it can be reviewed, not permanent)

10. Asylum aplicants in Spain: Countries of origin

11. Where does people can apply for International
Protection in Spain?
• At the border control: people who arrive in Spain but cannot enter
Spanish territory
• People who are already in Spain:
- At the Asylum Office in Madrid
- In any Foreign Office
- In Police Stations
- In Alien Detention Centres
- Diplomatic Mission (embassies, consulates, etc.).

12. How does asylum seekers apply for international
protection?
• Asylum applicants must submit their application in person
• Asylum applicants have to attend an interview in which they must answer
several questions (nationality test, religious test…)
• Most important question during the interview is: What would happen to
you if you return to your country of origin?
• Asylum application in Spain can be a long process
Eligibility process: from 6 months to 3 years

13. Who decides over asylum applications?
• All applications are examined by the Asylum Office
• Decisions are made by the Ministry of the Interior (Home
Affairs, Homeland Security in USA)
What rights does an asylum applicant
have?
• Right to remain/stay in Spain until the application is resolved
• To be assisted by a lawyer and interpreter
• Healthcare services if needed

14. What rights are granted to individuals under
International Protection?
• Not to be returned to the country of origin
• Authorization to live and work in Spain
• Access to public employment services, education, healthcare, housing,
social services, programs for victims of gender-based violence, integration
programs, etc.
• Reuniting with immediate family

15. Asylum decisions in Spain

16. Arrivals European Union

17. Asylum Applications in the European Union 2015

18. • Between July and September European Union agreed on 160.000 places of
relocation and 20.000 places of resettlement to be completed in 2 years
• Relocation: transfer of persons from the EU Member State (Greece and
Italy) to another EU Member State
• Resettlement: Transfer, on a request from the UNHCR of refugee from a
third country to a Member State (Turkey, Lebanon, etc.)
• In more tan 1year only 15.000 of 160.000 have been relocated to the EU. In
Spain only 800 of 16.000 have bee relocated
• At this rate in Spain, relocation will take more than 28 years to reach their
commitments for 2 years
European response to the refugee humanitarian
crisis

19. • Registration centres, reception , fingerprint collection (Dublin Regulation)
• Profile determination
• It was foresee that relocation would take place from Hotspots
• Before: open centres Now: closed detention centres
• From first reception centres to deportation centre?
Arrival of refugees in the European Union: The
Hotspot Approach

22. • All new irregular migrants from 20th March will be returned to Turkey
• For every Syrian being returned to Turkey from the Greek islands, another
Syrian will be resettled to the EU from Turkey directly
• Turkey accession process to the European Union will be re-energized and
reconsidered
• Visa liberalization for turkey citizens
• 6 billion of euros - European funds allocated to Turkey
European Union-Turkey Agreement

23. • In 10 months the agreement for relocation and resettlement has failed
• Canada has resettled 25.000 refugees in 4 months and it will resettle 10.000
more in the next months
• CEAR : European states should speed up implementation of the refugee
and relocation program
Conclusion: lack of political will

25. @CEARefugio
facebook.com/CEARefugiado
Thank you for your attention
Any question?