Is Madrid the New Hotspot for Venezuelan Migrants?

Gabriela Molina Otaiza

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport | (Via: all pyrenees)

No other country in Latin American history has experienced the severity of hyperinflation, inadequate public services, a dysfunctional healthcare system, political violence, and continued humanitarian turmoil quite like Venezuela. Over the last decade, more than 5.9 million Venezuelan migrants have been displaced or forced to flee at an alarming rate due to widespread human rights violations, crime, and crises. Venezuelans are considered the second-largest displaced population globally. Many have internally migrated to Colombia and sought refuge in the United States in hopes of seeking permanent residence through temporary migration pathways. However, within the first days of the Trump Administration, many programs, such as Temporary Protection Status (TPS) designations and Humanitarian Parole, have been terminated, effectively severing the U.S. as a reliable asylum location. This sent an intense shock wave through Venezuelan communities across the nation as many sought legal protections to avoid deportation. These protections prevented them from returning to the arms of an authoritarian regime under President Nicolas Maduro. Now, countries such as Spain, with cultural similarities and flexible migration policies, have become a hotspot for Venezuelan migrants. This article aims to analyze the flow of migrants out of the United States towards Spain and its impact on immigration policy and the reorganization of competition between these countries.

Previously, the United States upheld Temporary Protection Status (TPS), a legal pathway designated for residents of countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict. Among these countries were Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela. Similarly, Parole in Place and Humanitarian Parole utilized sponsorships to assist nearly 200,000 Venezuelan migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. However, on January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order terminating these parole programs. On February 3, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminated the January 20, 2025, extension of TPS that dated back to 2021, stripping nearly 40,000 Venezuelan migrants of their legal protection. Finally, on September 3, 2025, the 2023 extension of TPS was terminated. This termination is set to take effect in November 2025. Following these terminations, nearly 700,000 Venezuelan migrants will lose their work authorizations and have their permanent residence or citizenship applications put on hold unless an alternative pathway is created. 

Conversely, Spain has upheld a relatively flexible immigration process. In 2018, the Audencia National sought to provide Venezuelans with permanent residence amidst the growing sociopolitical, economic, and humanitarian reasons. In March 2021, the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) of Spain upheld and revised this standing, now extending permanent residence in Spain to migrants from countries experiencing food shortages and high unemployment. Many migrants have received expedited visa approvals on account of these extreme factors. Additionally, the Democratic Memory Law allows for citizenship applications from descendants of those exiled during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. In 2023, nearly 7.7 million migrants fled Venezuela, and this number is predicted to rise to over 8.4 million by the end of 2025. Therefore, Spain will continue to receive exponentially more Venezuelan migrants over time. As of now, Venezuelans are among the top five nationality groups in Spain seeking legal protection and permanent residence. 

Revoking TPS and other legal pathways to permanent residence in the United States has several longstanding implications, such as brain drain, losing a global competitive edge and workforce, and heightening tensions between the United States and Venezuela. A desirable outcome would be for Congress to reverse the terminations of TPS and extend the designation for eighteen months, allowing beneficiaries to retain their legal status and aid the U.S. economy. Another outcome would be to promote permanent protection status (PPS) that ensures stability and legal economic protection as the White House moved for deportation proceedings. Finally, Congress should assert its authority to fulfill its legal obligation to ensure proper immigration enforcement. As seen in deportation cases to Guantanamo and El Salvador, Congress should uphold the right to due process to ensure humane conditions.

However, considering recent congressional behavior, Spain should implement a form of Temporary Protection Status, as it has previously demonstrated the capacity to handle the influx of Venezuelan migrants sufficiently. These include expedited residency permits, legal work access, and “long-term residence” or citizenship applications. Through the argument of Spain’s ability to geographically and socially handle this influx, the overarching benefits of migration would aid the Spanish economy in the long term. For instance, through legal work access, migrants can contribute to the workforce and increase the tax revenue collected by the government. This influx can lead to further social service planning, higher spending on education, and an overall improvement of Spanish society.  

If United States policymakers continue to stall regarding TPS, they can expect a significant decrease in migration rates and a weakened economy in the long term. Additionally, brain drain will result in a dramatic decline in the international student population, leaving the U.S. weaker in comparison to global competitors, such as China. This is not only a period of exacerbated humanitarian crises but also a demonstration that the U.S. has turned its back on the Venezuelan community, tarnishing future reconciliation attempts. The time to hold Congress accountable is now.