prostitution exists in a legal vacuum in Spain

prostitution exists in a legal vacuum in Spain. Sex workers are not penalized (see this link), instead the pimps are the ones who are punished. With 90% of prostitutes in Spain said to be illegal immigrants, brought into Spain through illegal human trafficking, the circumstances of many prostitutes leave them in legal limbo.

Brothels have been illegal since 1956 (according to worldsexguide.org), but the vast majority of brothels are loosely disguised as whiskerías or 'clubs' and are left to function as normal. On the other hand, prostitutes are able to practice their trade freely and advertise frequently in the 'Relax' section of the classifieds in newspapers and magazines written in thinly veiled sexual jargon.

Men who use prostitutes are not currently punished for their actions, though there are moves for prostitute users to be targeted .