Spanish government's reception centre for Ukrainian refugees will be at the Palacio de Ferias

The government’s refugee centre for Ukrainians in Malaga city will be in the Palacio de Ferias. It is due to come into operation on 1 April and will be the fourth to open in Spain, together with Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante. Its mission is to register the refugees when they arrive, provide them with any administrative assistance they need and find them accommodation where necessary.

Malaga council has asked the management at the Palacio de Ferias to act swiftly to make the preparations as quickly as possible. The mayor, Francisco de la Torre, says the government will be covering all related expenses.

The building, which has also been used for mass Covid vaccinations, was chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from five suggestions made by Malaga city hall, including council-owned premises in Calle Cuarteles and Calle Palestina. On Monday, they opted for the Palacio de Congresos.

The decision to locate the fourth refugee centre in Malaga was announced on 13 March by prime minister Pedro Sánchez. The province has about 12,000 Ukraine residents.

Meanwhile, the National Police in Malaga have already processed 1,110 applications for temporary protection for refugees who have already arrived in the province, fleeing from the war in Ukraine.