Country report non-discrimination : transposition and implementation at national level of Council Directives 2000/43 and 2000/78 : Spain [2022]

There have been great social and political changes in Spain over the past 45 years. Major transformations have taken place in the country's social structure, forming a much more diverse society in ethnic and religious (and other) terms. Two of the major interrelated changes have been a demographic transformation and the conversion of Spain into a country of net immigration. Between 1975 and 2021 the population has grown from 36 million to just over 47 million (47 385 107). The most interesting data for this report are as follows. First, it should be noted that immigration has played an important role in population growth. At the turn of the century, Spain went from being a country of emigration in the 20th century, with people emigrating to third countries, to a country of immigration, or a destination country for foreign migrants. According to estimates published on 30 June 2021, the number of foreigners resident in Spain stands at 5 922 196. This means that in the first half of 2021 the increase in the resident foreign population as a whole was 2.3 % compared with the same half of last year, reversing the negative trend observed in the first half of 2020 (-2 % year-on-year growth) as a result of the restrictions on international mobility associated with the pandemic situation generated by COVID-19. Of this foreign population, 54.1 % (3 206 787) have an EU registration certificate for free movement (EU citizens and their family members, even if they are third-country nationals, are entitled to this certificate). Overall, the number of foreigners with a registration certificate and EU free movement status has increased by 2 % compared with 30 June 2020. In addition, 2 313 300 third-country nationals (39 % of the total foreign population) are authorised under the 'general aliens' regime'. Nationals from four countries - Morocco, China, Ecuador and Venezuela - account for more than 50 % of the foreigners in this group, subject to the general aliens' regime. It should also be noted that 79 % of foreigners with authorisation under the general regime have long-term authorisation, which allows them to reside and work in Spain indefinitely under the same conditions as Spaniards. Finally, the last group of foreigners with various types of specific authorisations are British citizens (400 343) and their family members - mainly the Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero (TIE) (Foreign National Identification Card) issued under the Withdrawal Agreement signed between Spain and the United Kingdom to regulate the entry and residence of British citizens and their family members in Spain following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union