Celi, a Peruvian woman, is standing in line at the Immigration Office on Pradillo Street in Madrid. She recounts her experience with frustration: “I spent two months trying to get an appointment to renew my red card. Nothing. In the end, I paid 80 euros to a stranger through a friend.” Well, this isn’t an isolated case. Thousands of immigrants in Spain are facing an overwhelmed system: the few available appointments are snapped up by mafias using bots, who then resell them for between 80 and 500 euros.
Analí, from Venezuela, spent three months unsuccessfully calling the Ministry of Territorial Policy. She and two other family members did the same. “It’s exasperating—you’re on the phone all day. Some people end up paying, of course.” María, from South America, had to pay 400 euros. “Even government officials told me that the best thing to do was to buy an appointment,” she says. The situation is particularly dire for those who depend on these procedures to regularize their status or apply for asylum. Without an appointment, you cannot access the reception system or basic benefits.
How the online mafias operate
Vicente Martín, a lawyer with Parainmigrantes.info, reports that there are groups using bots to snap up the 40 or 50 appointments that become available each day at immigration offices, police stations, and civil registries. “By the time they’re released, there’s no way to get one,” he explains. This black market operates through groups on Telegram, Facebook, Wallapop, or even phone booths. The price varies depending on urgency and demand. Mauricio Valiente, president of CEAR, points out that the problem is structural: “There isn’t enough capacity to handle the 160,000 to 180,000 asylum applications received annually.” The regions most affected are Madrid, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Valencia, and Andalusia.
The UGT union is demanding urgent measures from the government: a security audit and systems such as advanced CAPTCHA or SMS verification to prevent bots from hoarding appointments. They are also calling for more staff. The union describes it as “unacceptable” that a public service has turned into a business. The pandemic exacerbated the situation by shifting everything online. Many lawyers are calling for a return to in-person, walk-in service at some offices—which are often empty while immigrants grow desperate.
If this is happening to you, you’re not alone. The system is broken, and patience is running out. But there are channels to stay informed and share experiences. Try not to pay exorbitant fees without first exhausting all official avenues.
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