Migrants and refugees face continuous challenges even after arriving in Europe or Spain, including obstacles to entering the country at points such as airports, difficulties with integration, limited access to services, and discrimination – all of which affect their chances of successfully settling in their new environment.

At departure airports, strict document checks are carried out, often leading to denied boarding for individuals who do not meet all the criteria set by Spanish authorities. This applies even to migrants and refugees who are merely transiting through Spain on their way to another destination.

Bureaucratic barriers – such as delays in processing transit visas and a lack of clarity regarding requirements – can unnecessarily prolong migrants’ stays at airports or even lead to their detention.

For asylum seekers, the difficulties in obtaining a transit visa can prevent them from reaching the country where they intend to apply for international protection. This leaves them in legal limbo and increases the risk of being sent back to countries where they face persecution or danger.

Migrants and refugees frequently encounter significant barriers when trying to access asylum processes. These include a lack of adequate information about their rights, complex and bureaucratic processes and long delays in the processing of asylum applications.

The number of international protection requests Spain receives does not reflect the actual conditions in the applicants’ countries of origin. Those who need protection the most are not always the ones who apply – rather, it is those who face fewer obstacles in reaching Spanish territory to submit their request.

Even for individuals who have already reached European or Spanish territory, the lack of legal and safe migration pathways remains a challenge. This affects those who wish to reunite with family members and those who still need to regularise their status, creating insecurity and uncertainty within migrant and refugee communities.