Spanish Emigration and Immigration: Historical Trends and Impacts

Posted on Nov 23, 2024 in Geography

External Migration: Historical Overview

External migration refers to population movements outside a country’s borders. This section examines Spain’s historical migration patterns.

Emigration until 1975

Spain historically was a country of emigrants. Two major destinations were overseas and Europe.

Transoceanic Migration

Spanish emigration flowed primarily to Latin America, and secondarily to the U.S., Canada, and Australia. This migration was generally permanent and assisted by public programs.

  • Significant Boom (Mid-19th Century to World War I): Emigration to the Americas was substantial, only reduced by political changes and colonial independence. Factors driving this wave included:
    • Latin American Demand: Countries needed to populate, exploit resources, and build infrastructure, facilitating immigration and employing recruiters in Spain.
    • Spanish Context: Limited emigration barriers, late agricultural output, economic crises, and unemployment among landowners and smallholders.
    • Origin and Destination: Primarily from Atlantic regions (Galicia, Asturias, Canary Islands) to Argentina (Pampas), Cuba (sugar), and Brazil (coffee).
    • Migrant Profile: Typically young, single, low-skilled males dedicated to agriculture.
  • Crisis and Wars (1914-1945): Emigration decreased due to World War I, the 1929 economic crisis, the Spanish Civil War, post-war shortages, transportation difficulties, and international blockades against Spain.
  • Recovery (1945-1960): Emigration resumed, though not reaching previous levels. Causes included authorization to leave Spain freely and the lifting of international isolation by the UN. Origins remained mainly Galicia and the Canary Islands, with destinations shifting to Venezuela (petroleum), Argentina (family reunification), and Brazil (industry). The migrant profile evolved, with more family migration and higher skill levels due to host country requirements for economic and industrial development.
  • Decline (1960s Onward): Emigration to Latin America declined due to economic factors and competition with European migration. Currently, return migration predominates.

Emigration to Europe

Emigration to Europe occurred in three stages:

  • Early to Mid-20th Century: Low and seasonal migration from rural Levante to France, involving farmers, workers, domestic maids, and political refugees after the Spanish Civil War. This ended with World War II.
  • Peak (1950-1973): Emigration peaked, with a brief decrease between 1964 and 1968 due to the Spanish Development Plan. This was largely permanent emigration driven by:
    • European Demand: Rapid post-World War II economic reconstruction created ample employment opportunities.
    • Spanish Factors: Strong population growth, surplus agricultural population due to mechanization, industrialization failures, and unemployment exacerbated by the Stabilization Plan.
    • Origin and Destination: Emigrants came from all regions, especially Andalusia and Galicia, with Germany and Switzerland as primary destinations.
    • Migrant Profile: Young adults, poorly trained, taking lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs.
  • Decline (1973 Onward): Permanent emigration declined due to the European economic crisis and unemployment. Seasonal migration (three months to one year) became more common, particularly for Galician and Andalusian agricultural, industrial, or construction workers.

Consequences of External Migration (Until 1975)

  • Demographic: Decrease in the Spanish population and uneven spatial distribution, contributing to current imbalances.
  • Economic:
    • Positive: Strong economic growth, alleviation of unemployment, and remittances that helped finance Spanish economic development and reduce the trade deficit.
    • Negative: Many departure areas were not favored by savings, as banks invested in more developed regions. Returning migrants often settled in areas with better job prospects.
  • Social: Migrants faced uprooting, language and cultural barriers, difficult living conditions, low salaries, and discrimination compared to local workers. After the 1975 crisis, many were affected by layoffs and returned without improving their situation.

External Migration Today

Spain has ceased to be a country of emigration due to factors like a more highly trained workforce, increased living standards, and competition from immigrants from less developed countries in traditional destination locations.

Foreign Immigration: Features and Impacts

Since 1980, and especially since 1995, Spain has received a high volume of immigrants, exceeding 5.2 million in 2008. Immigrants can be categorized as:

  • Naturalized: Foreigners who acquire Spanish citizenship after several years of residence.
  • Legal: Those with residence permits who retain their original nationality.
  • Illegal: Difficult to quantify, estimated around 200,000.

Causes of Immigration

  • Spanish Factors: Labor demand since 1995 due to economic development, particularly in low-skilled jobs. Measures like regularization of illegal immigrants and family reunification have also attracted immigrants. Proximity to Africa is another significant factor.
  • Immigrant Factors: Economic reasons (jobs or business opportunities) and political reasons (lack of rights, persecution).
  • Origin and Destination: Until 1996, mostly European (EU and Eastern Europe). Since then, predominantly African (Morocco), Latin American (Ecuador), and Asian. Immigrants tend to settle in communities with large urban centers and services, such as Catalonia, Madrid, and Valencia.
  • Migrant Profile:
    • Community: Retirees with medium-high living standards, often attracted by weather conditions.
    • Outside: Young people who come to Spain for economic or political reasons, often taking low-skilled jobs.

Consequences of Immigration

  • Demographic: Population growth, preventing a decrease.
  • Economic: Provides workforce, fills hard and poorly paid jobs, contributes to GDP growth, and provides domestic services. However, it is also linked to issues such as loss of competitiveness, downward pressure on wages, limited geographical mobility of Spanish workers, and an increasing external deficit due to remittances and consumption of imported goods.
  • Social: Xenophobic or racist attitudes, viewing immigration as an invasion. These ideas can encourage return migration. Many immigrants face harsh working and living conditions and difficulties integrating due to cultural, linguistic, and religious differences.