Immigration Trends in Spain: Population, Origins, and Employment
Immigration of Foreigners in Spain
Spain has become an immigration country. Data are available for legal immigration status, but the true extent of irregular or illegal immigration is unknown. Over the past thirty years, the number of foreigners legally residing in Spain has increased from 65,000 to 400,000. Between 1989 and 1998, growth was rapid, but represented just 1% of the total Spanish population, a lower percentage than in other EU countries. However, their numbers grew rapidly, exceeding 4.5 million in 2007 and representing 10% of the total Spanish population. They take jobs in labor-intensive sectors where Spanish labor is scarce: agriculture, construction, catering, and domestic service. The primary countries of origin are Morocco, followed by Ecuador and Romania.
Distribution
Mediterranean coast or archipelagos (including European pensioners), Madrid, and isolated interior points (Zaragoza).
Source
- Citizens of the European Union (mainly pensioners, 42.76%)
- Latin America (cultural proximity, 32.18%)
- African citizens, including Moroccans and sub-Saharan (16.3%)
- Asians: small but growing presence
- Low importance of North America and Oceania
Distribution by Age
Young adults (working age) dominate. Generally, there are more men than women, although the Latin American population has slightly more women than men. The age structure of the children of immigrants is similar to that of Spanish children, but there has been a recent shift due to family reunification and increased birth rates among immigrants.
Composition of Foreign Immigrants
Foreign residents in Spain represent a variety of situations:
Foreign Nationals
The number of requests for Spanish nationality has increased dramatically in recent years. Around 8,000 are granted annually. This growth is due to the recovery of nationality by former Spanish migrants and their descendants, and foreign immigrants seeking citizenship. The large number of Latin American immigrants among nationalized foreigners is explained by preferential treatment in Spanish legislation.
Workers
In recent years, there have been approximately 12,000 new annual entrants into employment. Most are absorbed by Madrid and Barcelona. Foreign workers are primarily employed in the services sector (67%), agriculture (13.5%), and construction and manufacturing (8%). Their home countries are in North Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the U.S. community.
Students
University students are a significant group in international migration, with the majority in Madrid, Granada, and Salamanca.
Exiles and Refugees
Refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons form a distinct group among foreign immigrants in Spain. The 1984 law governing the right of asylum and refugee status defines a refugee, as per the 1951 United Nations Convention, as “a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality and is unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country, or who, lacking nationality and being outside the country of their former habitual residence, is unable or unwilling to return to it.” Spain is not particularly affected by this issue, maintaining a number of refugees that represents half of those in France, Belgium, and the UK. Refugee and asylum requests mainly come from Eastern Europe (Romania, Bosnia), Asia, Africa (Senegal, Equatorial Guinea), and Latin America (Peru, Cuba, Ecuador, Colombia).
Illegal Immigrants (Without Papers)
An illegal immigrant is defined as a foreigner who does not have legal residence status in Spain. Legally, they cannot work, live, or receive social benefits. The number of illegal aliens is difficult to determine. Regularization programs have been implemented since the adoption of the Aliens Act in 1985 to legalize their status and determine their numbers. This group consists of young, mostly male individuals employed in sectors such as agriculture, construction, domestic service, catering, and vending. They come from countries like Morocco, Argentina, Peru, and Senegal, and primarily settle in Madrid and Barcelona. Poverty, homelessness, lack of education and training, and marginalization are some of their defining characteristics.