The Government of Spain has granted temporary protection to 236,570 people affected by the war in Ukraine

Three years into the war in Ukraine, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has presented an assessment of the Government's performance. In the three years of conflict, Spain has granted temporary protection to 236,570 people, making it the fourth country in the EU in terms of the number of concessions granted (4.9% of the EU total), according to data from the 2025 Spain Questionnaire Blueprint Ukraine.

"In these three years of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Spain has been an example of solidarity and efficiency with the Ukrainian people with its commitment to their human rights, deploying a system of reception and urgent care right from the beginning for those who have had to flee the war", declared the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, who has reaffirmed with this balance report the Government's commitment to the protection of those who have had to flee their country.

Immediate and coordinated response

On 24 February 2022, when the conflict began, Spain immediately activated the temporary protection mechanism, which allows applications to be resolved within 24 hours. Four Reception, Attention and Referral Centres (CREADE) were also set up in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga, where 214,324 people have been assisted and 124,924 displaced persons have been documented.

In the first months of the emergency, the system doubled its capacity, creating 11,000 additional places in record time to respond effectively to shelter and basic assistance needs.

Spain is the second country in terms of the number of Ukrainian people that have passed through the System for the Reception of International and Temporary Protection (SAPIT), offering accommodation to 40,597 people since the beginning of the conflict. A total of 6,172 people are currently staying in the reception facilities, mainly single-parent families and elderly people.

Ukraine House

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has announced in Kiev, during his official visit to Ukraine, that Alicante will host the Casa de Ucrania. The CREADE in Torrevieja will host a centre managed by people of Ukrainian nationality that will serve as a place for meeting, training, assistance, participation and reunion with their compatriots, their culture and, in short, with their country.

Spain thereby expands the network of "Unity Hubs" of the Ukrainian community abroad, following the example of the German government, which announced the opening of one in Berlin to support and advise Ukrainian refugees in Germany.

Educational, occupational and health integration

The integration of displaced persons has been a priority for the Government of Spain. According to the latest data, as of 30 September 2024, when the conflict began, 39,741 Ukrainian students have been enrolled in the Spanish education system. Of these, approximately 5,500 are in pre-primary education, 15,500 in primary education, 9,500 in secondary education, and more than 8,000 in vocational training and language courses. At the university level, 1,800 students are enrolled in bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.

In the field of employment, 28,197 people with temporary protection are registered with the Social Security, based on figures for 31 December 2024, with a significant presence in sectors such as hotels and catering (4,680 people), construction (4,605), commerce (3,088) and information and communications, where 2,862 people from Ukraine are employed. The majority of these workers have permanent full-time contracts.

In addition, 91,492 displaced persons have received the Individual Health Card (IHC) for temporary protection, which guarantees their full access to the National Health System under the same conditions as Spanish citizens.

More than €1.5 billion invested in protection

Over the years, Spain has allocated more than €1.53 billion to support people affected by the conflict, with co-financing from the EU. More than €237 million has been added through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the European Social Fund (ESF).

Direct subsidies totalling €82.8 million have been made available to the autonomous communities to cover the basic needs of displaced persons and to provide financial assistance to those who lack sufficient resources.

Future prospects

In view of the continuing conflict, the temporary protection has been extended until 4 March 2026. Spain will continue to work actively with its European partners to ensure a supportive and effective response.

Spain will take part in the meeting of the Solidarity Platform for Ukraine, to be held in Brussels on 27 March, where the future of the Temporary Protection Mechanism beyond 26 March 2026, support for people who decide to return to Ukraine and the transition to permanent residence status in the member states will be discussed.

Non official translation