Spain: Government Approves National Program To Resettle Refugees

Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the National Program to Resettle Refugees in Spain 2019 to be implemented in 2020. Resettlement is the process whereby a refugee that has fled their country of origin due to persecution on grounds of race, religion, political opinions or other grounds and who enjoys temporary asylum in another country, can be resettled in a third country, in this case Spain.

The Acting Minister for Education and Vocational Training and Government Spokesperson, Isabel Celaá, claimed that Spain, in line with its European commitments, will take in 1,200 refugees over the course of 2020.

Through this programme, Spain will remain committed to resettlement with the aim of cooperating with countries which, due to their proximity to conflict zones, receive huge flows of refugees. In this regard, Isabel Celaá declared that the measure contributes to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in the East Mediterranean.

Care for people with disabilities

The government agreed to improve the care for people with disabilities and other groups in particularly vulnerable situations in disasters.

Isabel Celaá explained that the measure means that, when faced with a disaster or an emergency, people with disabilities will receive clear information and may be cared for according to their disability to guarantee their safety.

For example, the rule lays the foundations for overcoming communication barriers faced by deaf people who use sign language when they call for an emergency service through the 112 hotline.