Spain

Over 41,900 refugees and migrants have arrived in Spain via the Western Mediterranean route during 2021. In 2020, a total of 40,326 arrivals were registered by UNHCR.? 

Since late 2020, there have been heightened security and intensified patrols in the Mediterranean. As a result, arrivals to the Spanish mainland have decreased, and people have been pushed to take longer and more dangerous routes. While most of the arrivals in Spain in previous years occurred in the southern region of Andalusia, where the crossing from Morocco is much shorter, the Canary Islands are currently receiving the highest number of sea arrivals in Spain. At least 9,000 migrants swam from Morocco to Ceuta in Spain between 17–19 May 2021. Attempting to migrate to Spain, most of them have been returned to Morocco. Refugees and migrants still try to reach the Spanish coast via the Western Mediterranean route. ? 

Over 58,500 people applied for asylum in 2021 as at the end of November – a 31% decrease compared to the same period in 2020. 23% of the applicants were from Venezuela and 17% from Colombia. Madrid and Barcelona provinces registered the highest number of asylum applications (27% and 11% respectively). ?