Spain News Roundup: Calima Blankets the Country, Pope's Visit to Cost €15 Million, Abortion Rights Reform

Calima Haze Blankets Spain's Skies

A mass of Saharan dust in suspension is blanketing much of the Iberian Peninsula, leaving brown skies and muddy rain in various regions. The haze — known as calima in Spanish — arrived on Monday and is expected to persist across much of Spain for the next few days.

Almost the entire peninsula and the Balearic Islands are affected, with the highest concentrations in the western half — Extremadura, Andalucía, Castilla y León and Spain's northern coast. Tuesday brought mud rain to Granada, Seville and Madrid.

From Wednesday onwards the haze will tend to dissipate, but will still affect areas in the north and east, as well as the Balearics. People with respiratory conditions should take precautions, keep windows closed and avoid intense outdoor exercise.

Pope Leo XIV's Visit to Spain — €15 Million Price Tag

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain from June 6 to 12 will cost at least €15 million, one of the trip's coordinators announced on Tuesday, adding that the budget is not yet finalised. However, the estimated economic impact of the visit is expected to exceed €100 million.

The Pope will visit Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Financing for papal visits varies by country — some are state-funded (as in Portugal, the US, Canada and Australia), while others rely on a "civic platform" funded by the faithful and foundations.

Madrid Refuses to House More Unaccompanied Minors

Madrid's conservative regional government has announced it will stop accepting unaccompanied minors from other regions. Regional Minister for Social Affairs Ana Dávila informed Spain's Minister of Territorial Policy that Madrid rejects new transfers of unaccompanied minors, warning she will take legal action if the central government tries to prolong the relocation period.

The national government's plan is to centralise the transfer of minors when a region exceeds its maximum occupancy quota — something that has already happened in the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Other PP-governed regions have previously accepted the request, but Madrid's regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso is now pushing back.

Government Moves to Enshrine Abortion Rights in Constitution

The Spanish Cabinet approved on Tuesday a draft reform of Article 43 of the Constitution to safeguard the right to abortion. The proposed text reads:

"Public authorities shall guarantee the exercise of the right of women to the voluntary termination of pregnancy under conditions of real and effective equality with all the benefits and services necessary for said exercise."

The next step is parliamentary approval. Equality Minister Ana Redondo said the reform aims to protect the service dimension of the right in public health, arguing that access through the public health system is "what is at risk."

This article is based on reporting from The Local Spain, published April 8, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.