Temporary protection scheme for Ukrainian refugees in Spain comes into force

Spain has now set up a temporary protection system for people who have fled from the war in Ukraine. It came into force on Thursday and will enable the refugees to access rights such as residence and work permits.

The government’s representative office in Malaga explained in a press release that applications for this temporary protection can be made at the National Police headquarters, and will be processed by the Interior Ministry’s Asylum and Refuge Office.

The police will take the ID details of those applying and provide them with a receipt and also an NIE (Foreigners Identification Number). Once the application has been processed, the residence and work permits will be issued.

This scheme does not only apply to recently-arrived Ukrainians. The government decided to extend it to people of other nationalities who were legally resident in that country, and also to Ukrainians who were living illegally in Spain before the Russian evasion.

The decision to implement this scheme was made on Tuesday, and Javier Salas, the government’s representative in Malaga, met on Wednesday with National Police chiefs, Social Security officials, Refugee Aid associations and the Spanish Red Cross and Malaga council the to familiarise them with the details.