Refugees and stateless persons. Political asylum and international protection in Spain: Trends in numbers and hurdles to accessing procedures

Abstract

Border control policies have been strengthened, making Spain – and indeed Europe as a whole – a kind of fortress where it is increasingly hard to enter and, consequently, to request asylum. The Spanish government prioritises what they call the «fight against illegal immigration» over compliance with the State’s obligations on Human Rights, thus violating the right to asylum and International Protection established under the Geneva Convention on the status of refugees, and elsewhere.