Sanctuary Practices in Spain. Social and Religious Organisations in Defence of the Rights of Migrants and Refugees

Abstract

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This chapter aims to present and describe the sanctuary practices developed by Catholic social organisations in Spain over the last two decades. Spain’s situation at the external Schengen border, the weight that the fight against irregular immigration has had in its overall migration and foreign policy and, more recently, the weakness of its refugee policy largely explains the articulation of these practices, which in recent years have focused on defending the rights of migrants at the borders and of asylum seekers within the territory. The chapter highlights that, despite the extent and diversity of sanctuaries today, religious organisations, in alliance with other secular social organisations, have led this type of mobilisation in Spain, extending to the so-called “refuge cities” in recent years. The sanctuary practices analysed in the Spanish case in this chapter can be considered an example of post-secular action because of the dialogue and alliances they generate between religious and secular actors.