Spain announced on Wednesday that from next month Senegalese wishing to travel through Spanish airports will need transit visas, as Madrid’s airport struggles with a surge in asylum seekers.
The Spanish embassy in Senegal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the measures will come into effect on February 19.
This comes after Spain on Saturday began requiring transit visas for Kenyans passing through Spanish airports.
Madrid Airport, Spain’s busiest airport, has seen a “sharp increase” in the number of asylum seekers since August 2023.
According to the non-governmental organization Spanish Refugee Assistance Committee, also known by its Spanish acronym CEAR, this has led to overflowing detention areas for people seeking protection.
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“Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions have reached critical levels, leading to bed bug infestations, trash accumulation and shortages of towels for personal hygiene,” the group said in a statement.
The group also complained of delays in processing asylum applications.
Of the 390 people found in “undignified” conditions at the airport, approximately 182 were unable to make formal claims, most of them from Senegal, Morocco, Somalia, Venezuela and Colombia, CEAR said in a statement. .
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Police unions have complained for weeks that many Senegalese passport holders who were heading to Brazil were applying for asylum during their layover in Madrid.
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