Starting August 16th, Spain has started requiring citizens of the Central African Republic to obtain an airport transit visa if they need to make a stopover in its territory. This decision is aimed at preventing these travelers from using transit through Spanish airports as a means to attempt irregular entry into the country and subsequently apply for asylum.
The airport transit visa allows passengers to remain in the international zone of Spanish airports without entering the country and must be obtained at Spanish embassies or consulates in the country of origin. This new requirement for Central African citizens is in line with similar measures recently applied to citizens of Sudan, Chad, Kenya, and Senegal, countries that have also seen an increase in asylum applications in Spain.