Spain's government must negotiate a housing decree this month after Junts and Podemos rejected an earlier draft. The regulation aims to control temporary and room rentals through measures that have been blocked since 2024. Access to housing remains the top concern for Spaniards, according to the July CIS barometer. Pedro Sánchez had promised that housing would be the focus of this legislative term, but the delayed decree leaves renters in limbo.
Spain recorded 3,096 heat-attributable deaths between May and July 2026, double the figure for the same period in 2025 and slightly below the 2022 record of 3,102. Public health researcher José Chen warned that heat now kills as many people as winter flu and should be treated as a public health emergency. Córdoba hit 44°C on Friday, and the summer of 2025 saw 3,832 heat-related deaths, 88% more than in 2024. The toll underscores the deadly risk of Spain's increasingly extreme summers.
Four days after some 50,000 migrants swam into Ceuta, the death toll has surpassed 80, forcing authorities to set up a temporary morgue. The city of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants was overwhelmed, prompting army deployment. This marks the deadliest migration tragedy on the Spanish border, with families still searching for missing loved ones. The crisis exposes the pressure on border communities and the extreme risks of irregular crossings.
Hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants remain outside the saturated CETI reception centre in Ceuta after most of the 50,000 who entered on Thursday returned. Minors are staying in vacant lots due to lack of space, and reception resources are overwhelmed. Mariama, a 28-year-old from Senegal, arrived after a year-long journey through Mauritania and Morocco. Authorities face mounting pressure to address the humanitarian emergency.
A letter signed by 22 European governments demanding stronger border controls has left Spain isolated in Brussels over migration policy. Pedro Sánchez condemned what he called the 'selfish' and 'illegal' reactions of other EU countries and requested an emergency interior ministers' meeting. Spain's government says it had no prior warning of the mass crossing of 60,000 people towards Ceuta. The shift towards stricter EU border enforcement could reshape migration and asylum rules across Spain.
After mortgage lending jumped nearly 18% to about 500,000 loans in 2025, Spanish banks are now tightening access to credit or raising requirements. The housing crisis, marked by high prices and scarce supply, is making it harder for buyers to secure financing. The cooling mortgage market adds another burden for families already struggling to afford a home. For anyone looking to buy property, higher down payments and stricter criteria are now likely.
The average price of petrol hit €1.705 per litre on August 1, the highest since March, and diesel topped €1.8 per litre. The government cut the fuel tax rebate from 15 to 10 cents per litre. It will drop further to 5 cents in September and expire in October. Both fuels have risen for about 20 consecutive sessions, gaining about 3 cents in a single day. The end of the subsidy will steadily raise transport costs for all drivers.
Postponing retirement by just four months can boost a monthly pension by €200, according to a Social Security official. Workers are advised to exhaust contributory unemployment benefits before claiming a pension, as contributions continue. Those retiring in December can also take advantage of the following year's revaluation, while retiring exactly two years early may trigger the highest reduction coefficients. These rules offer a clear path for maximising retirement income.
Wildfires have scorched 186,544 hectares across Spain since January, compared with just 33,360 hectares in the same period of 2025. Thirty-eight large fires have been recorded, far exceeding last year's 12. Minister Sara Aagesen urged maximum caution as temperatures remain exceptionally high despite the end of the official heat wave. As the fires spread, foreign residents in rural or forested areas should stay informed of local alerts.
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