Understanding Spanish Migration Patterns
Migration Overview
Migration involves movement of people, encompassing emigration (leaving) and immigration (arriving).
Internal Migration
Internal migration refers to movements within a country’s borders.
Historical Internal Migration
Traditional Internal Migration: Late 19th century to 1975 economic crisis. Peasants moved to industrial cities for work. Seasonal and temporary migration occurred in the late 19th century and 1960s, involving travel to rural areas for agricultural work or to towns during off-season. The rural exodus (1900-1975) saw farmers moving to industrialized areas for better opportunities.
Four Stages:
- Early 20th century: Driven by surplus labor and agricultural mechanization.
- Civil War and aftermath: War caused supply issues and industrial destruction. Franco’s regime encouraged rural living.
- 1950-1975: Population growth and agricultural crisis led to industrial and tourism jobs.
- Post-1975: Decline due to economic crisis; many returned to rural areas.
Currently, Balearic Islands and Mediterranean coastal regions see net migration due to tourism.
Current Internal Migration
Post-1975 Crisis: Immigrants come from urban areas to smaller towns, not large cities. Diverse motivations and profiles lead to different migration streams:
- Residential Migration: Within cities, seeking affordable housing and better environments.
- Labor Migration: Young adults seeking unskilled or skilled service jobs.
- Rural Return Migration: Former migrants retiring to rural areas, causing aging populations.
- Normal Population Movements: Commuting for work and leisure.
Consequences of Internal Migration
Population imbalances, rural depopulation, urban density. Sex ratio imbalances, aging rural populations, and younger urban populations. Economic impacts include initial resource increase in rural areas followed by decline. Urban areas face congestion issues. Socially, assimilation problems arise. Environmentally, traditional ecosystems are abandoned, leading to degradation and pollution.
External Migration
External migration involves cross-border movements.
Transoceanic Migration
Primarily to Latin America, then the US, Canada, and Australia.
- Mid-19th century to WWI: Boom period, mainly from Galicia, Asturias, and the Canary Islands.
- Interwar period: Decline due to WWI, 1929 crisis, and Spanish Civil War.
- 1950-1960: Renewed overseas migration, mainly to Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil.
- Post-1960: Decline due to competition with European migration.
Migration to Europe
Pre-mid 20th century: Mainly to France, involving seasonal farmers, construction workers, and domestic maids. WWII ended this phase.
1950-1973: Peak emigration to Europe due to post-war reconstruction and Spanish population growth. Post-1973: Decline due to energy crisis and unemployment. Currently, seasonal and temporary.
Consequences of External Migration
Demographic: Population attrition and distribution changes. Economic: Reduced unemployment but savings not invested productively. Social: Uprooting, poor living conditions, and returnees facing job and housing issues.
Present Out-Migration
Spain is no longer an emigrant country due to higher workforce training, improved living standards, and competition from immigrants.
Foreign Immigration in Spain
Spain receives immigrants from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Main destinations are Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia, Valencia, and the Canary Islands.
Classifications:
- Full-fledged Spanish: Naturalized after several years.
- Legal Immigrants: With residence permits.
- Illegal Aliens: Difficult to quantify.
Causes are political or economic. Immigrants often fill low-skilled jobs and face instability and marginalization.