Two million in aid to Doñana municipalities to integrate migrants

The Council of Ministers, upon the proposal of the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz Delgado, has approved Royal Decree 686/2026, of August 26, which regulates the direct granting of subsidies to finance local prevention, awareness, and dissemination initiatives aimed at the foreign-born population in the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Space. The regulation, published in the Official State Gazette number 211, of August 27, 2026, distributes a total of 2,000,000 euros among 14 Andalusian city councils.

The decree, with official reference BOE-A-2026-18207, is issued under the exclusive competence of the State regarding immigration and foreign affairs (Article 149.1.2 of the Spanish Constitution). It provides continuity to Royal Decree 818/2025, of September 16, and executes Line 13 of the Framework of actions for the sustainable territorial development of the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Space, presented in 2023, whose axes 13.1 and 13.2 address prevention and awareness and the documentary normalization of migrants.

Beneficiaries and distribution of funds

The grants are awarded under a direct grant regime, on an extraordinary basis and for reasons of public interest, to the city councils within the Doñana perimeter considered as the area of influence. The amount is divided into two lines of one million euros each:

• Line 13.1 (prevention and awareness): 1,000,000 € for Almonte, Moguer, Bollullos Par del Condado, Palos de la Frontera, Rociana del Condado, Bonares, Hinojos, and Lucena del Puerto.
• Line 13.2 (dissemination and documentary normalization): 1,000,000 € for the 14 municipalities of the area of influence, including Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Pilas, La Puebla del Río, Isla Mayor, Aznalcázar, and Villamanrique de la Condesa.

The allocation to each municipality is calculated based on three criteria: total population (40%), percentage of immigrant population relative to the total (45%), and the presence of settlements (15%). Among the highest amounts are Moguer (320,000 €), Palos de la Frontera (260,000 €), and Lucena del Puerto (250,000 €).

Eligible actions

The subsidized projects must contribute to awareness regarding racism, xenophobia, hate crimes, and human trafficking, exploitation, and violence against foreign women, as well as the dissemination of the new immigration regulations. Among the planned actions are:

• Prevention and awareness projects against trafficking, sexual and labor exploitation, and violence against women.
• Projects to combat hate crimes or incidents, racism, and xenophobia.
• Social cohesion, equal treatment, and Human Rights protection projects.
• Distribution of infographics and informative materials in several languages regarding immigration regulations.
• Information points in community centers and workplaces, mobile offices, and a telephone inquiry line.

Deadlines and conditions

Beneficiary city councils must submit their application within ten business days from the entry into force of the decree, which occurs on the day of its publication. The agreements implementing the aid must be formalized before November 30, 2026, and the execution period for the projects extends until December 1, 2027. Payment will be made in a single 100% advance in the 2026 fiscal year, with city councils being exempt from providing guarantees due to their status as public administrations.

The regulation, signed by King Felipe VI and Minister Elma Saiz Delgado, reinforces State support for municipalities in the Doñana area, a territory of 3,000 km² with 210,338 inhabitants in 2025 and a high percentage of migrant population, including seasonal agricultural workers. These grants seek to guarantee equal treatment, reduce the vulnerability of migrants, and promote their documentary regularization in a natural area of great ecological and social value for Andalusia.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 211, Thursday, August 27, 2026, Sec. I, page 116924 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18207).