Venezuelans Flee U.S. for Spain Amid Deportation Fears

In the past two years, a growing number of Venezuelans have become the new drivers of migration to Europe, fleeing the Trump administration's efforts to end temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the U.S.

One such family is that of Venezuelan policeman Alberto Peña, who had reached the U.S. through the perilous Darien Gap in Panama with his wife and three daughters, seeking refuge from persecution back home. However, the impending loss of their temporary protected status forced the Peña family to move once again, this time to Spain.

Spain has pursued a more flexible migration policy compared to other European countries, and its shared language and cultural values make it a natural alternative for many of the 1 million Venezuelans living in the U.S. who fear deportation. Venezuelan arrivals to Spain have been accelerating, with Venezuelans accounting for 59% of all asylum applications in the first half of 2025, up from 38% a year earlier.

While Spain offers Venezuelans a relatively easy migration path, with an automatic residence permit for humanitarian reasons if their asylum request is rejected, the resettlement process is not without its challenges. Some Venezuelans who have moved from the U.S. to Spain have reported difficulties in finding housing and employment, with one family forced to stay in a Red Cross refuge as they wait for their application to be approved.

As the economic and political crisis in Venezuela continues, the exodus of its citizens seeking better opportunities abroad shows no signs of slowing down. For many Venezuelans, Spain has become a new haven, even as they grapple with the difficulties of migrating a second time.