1992-2022: THIRTY YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION IN SPAIN
The Subdirectorate General for International Protection, dependent on the General Directorate for Internal Policy of the Ministry of the Interior, is considered the Asylum and Refuge Office referred to in article 23.1 of Law 12/2009, of October 30, regulating the right of asylum and subsidiary protection.
The Asylum and Refuge Office (OAR) was created in 1992. It is the specialized body in charge of investigating and processing international protection procedures and, among other functions, recognizing the status of stateless persons. Since its creation, it has experienced the numerous changes that have occurred in the field of international protection in Spain, such as the approval of the aforementioned Law 12/2009, the establishment of National Resettlement Programs, the construction and development of the European System Common Asylum (SECA) or the implementation of the Dublin system. More recently, the challenge posed by the arrival of Afghan citizens requesting international protection from the evacuation device started in August 2021 has been addressed, as well as the innovative implementation of an agile and efficient Temporary Protection procedure for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine as of February 24, 2022. In turn, the OAR has undergone a significant internal transformation as a result of the implementation of various measures that have strengthened its capacity to process, investigate and resolve requests for international protection.
These measures, aimed at responsible, efficient management and with a high level of quality in the attention to refugees, made it possible that in 2020, despite the large number of registered applications and the health crisis caused by COVID-19, they were resolved for the first time. in the history of the OAR more international protection files than applications and, at the present time, they allow to deal effectively with the exponential growth of these and of the files formalized during the recent migratory crises.
The dedication and quality of the work carried out by the professionals of the OAR has recently been recognized with the delivery of the Police Merit Cross with a white badge from the Minister of the Interior, in an act that constituted the starting point of an extensive program of commemorative activities on the occasion of the 30th anniversary, among which is this stamp that Correos dedicates to the event.
