Spain extends residency rights for Ukrainian refugees, Barcelona to give over-55s €400 a month to help with housing and more news from Spain on Thursday February 19th.
Spain extends residency rights for Ukrainian refugees
Spain’s Interior Ministry has “directly and automatically” extended the validity of foreign identity cards (TIE) issued to people affected by the conflict in Ukraine until March 4th 2027.
Ukrainian refugees have been offered temporary residency in Spain since 2022 following Russia’s invasion of their country.
The department headed by Fernando Grande-Marlaska indicates that “for reasons of effectiveness and efficiency” it is not necessary for Ukrainians in Spain to obtain a new TIE for their rights to be guaranteed.
According to Spain’s Permanent Observatory of Immigration (OPI), there were 338,256 Ukrainians with valid residence permits in Spain.
Barcelona to give over-55s €400 a month to help with housing
Barcelona City Council has launched a new grant of up to €400 per month to facilitate access to and maintenance of housing for people over 55 and single-parent families in the Catalan capital.
The application period opens on February 20th 2026 , and these can be submitted during the established timeframe through the city’s website or at housing offices.
As confirmed by Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni in an interview on Wednesday, the €400 aid will be granted for a maximum period of 12 months, taking it up to a total of €4,800 per person.
Among the main requirements are that the property be located within the municipality of Barcelona and that it be the applicant’s primary residence.
Spain plans tough rules for formula milk advertising
Spain’s Ministry of Health has begun the process of regulating infant formula advertising and protecting breastfeeding.
The new decree aims to curb aggressive marketing strategies, especially online and on social media through influencers.
It will also prohibit donations and sponsorships to the healthcare system and require greater transparency from healthcare professionals.
The Ministry of Health has opened a public consultation to approve a new decree aimed at protecting breastfeeding and improving infant health.
In Spain, only 47 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, below the recommendation of the World Health Organisation.
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Spanish police arrest hacker who booked luxury hotels for one cent
Spanish police said Wednesday they had arrested a 20-year-old man who allegedly hacked a hotel booking website to reserve luxury rooms for as little as one cent, in the first known cybercrime of its kind.
The suspect is believed to have manipulated the site’s payment system, altering the validation process of an electronic payment platform so that bookings appeared fully paid.
But only a minimal amount — one cent — was actually charged for rooms costing up to €1,000 ($1,200) a night.
“This cyberattack was specifically designed to alter the payment validation system, and this is the first time we have detected a crime using this method,” Spain’s National Police said.
Police said the man, a Spanish national, also consumed minibar items during his stays and occasionally left bills unpaid.
At the time of his arrest, he was staying at a luxury Madrid hotel with a four-night reservation totalling €4,000.
The man had stayed at the hotel multiple times, causing losses of more than €20,000, a police spokeswoman said.
The investigation began after an online booking website reported suspicious activity earlier this month.
Transactions initially appeared to be completed correctly, but the irregularity was only discovered days later, when the payment platform transferred the actual amount paid to the affected company.
With additional reporting by AFP.
