The Ombudsman has urged the Ministry of the Interior to take urgent measures in the face of the collapse of the asylum appointment system: there are people who have been trying to get a first appointment for months, others with appointments for more than a year and situations of special vulnerability that do not have protection.
In a letter to which EFE has had access, the Ombudsman explains to the Interior Ministry that, despite the measures adopted, it is currently processing more than 2,500 complaints and reminds it that, in compliance with Community regulations, Spain must guarantee that anyone who submits an application for international protection can effectively submit it as soon as possible.
Years of waiting without papers
The problems are long-standing and the Interior Ministry informed the Ombudsman that a network that blocked the online appointment system for foreigners had been dismantled through a malicious computer application and that various measures had been adopted to speed up procedures in police stations.
But the complaints continue and, according to the institution, headed by Ángel Gabilondo, there are people who have been trying to get a first asylum appointment for months.
By not getting it, they cannot access the reception system. Others have obtained an appointment by telephone, but have no written record of it. There are also people who have an appointment, but must wait many months or even more than a year to formalize their application.
The Ombudsman mentions the case of a Venezuelan woman with an appointment in Lugo in almost two years, on December 5, 2025. If her application is admitted for processing, she will not be authorized to work until June 2026, which delays her integration process "unjustifiably" and increases her dependence on social assistance, she warns.
When the petition is formalized, the person is not always granted a NIE, which is essential to carry out the most basic procedures. The Ombudsman recommends that they be issued a document certifying their status as an applicant and accrediting that they are authorized to remain in Spain while their file is being processed.
Separated families and vulnerable cases
The report also highlights that there are families who have obtained a telephone appointment but are not attended to jointly when they go to the police station. Only one adult and the minors are attended to and the rest must request a new individual appointment, which prevents the entire family from accessing the reception system.
The focus is also on the case of people in situations of special vulnerability, a group in which the immigration law places minors, people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, single-parent families or victims of trafficking or serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence.
Sometimes it takes months to access the reception system and, although the Ombudsman is notifying the superior police headquarters of the cases that come to him, "their situation is especially worrying" and there are territories such as Catalonia or the Valencian Community that "are not putting the necessary means" in particular cases, it is noted in the letter.
Difficulties also to extend
Among the complaints, there are also people who cannot renew their international protection documentation due to lack of appointments and are left unprotected, unable to work or carry out everyday procedures.
The Ombudsman proposes that a legend be included in their documentation explaining that its validity is extended until the procedure is resolved.
Complaints continue to be received about the conditions in which the interviews are conducted or about the requirement of documentation not provided for in the asylum regulations to have a prior appointment, such as the registration certificate.
According to the Ombudsman, he has received complaints from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas and Bilbao.
More than 163,000 asylum seekers in 2023
The Ombudsman values the efforts made by the Interior Ministry and the police forces, but warns that they are "insufficient" in the face of the growing increase in asylum applications received by Spain.
In 2023, more than 163,218 applications were registered, 37% more than in 2022, and Spain is already the third receiving country in the European Union, so it must be provided with more resources.
