Recent Immigration to Catalonia: Economic Character and Responses

Abstract

This chapter presents an account of the various facets of migration and mobility among the population of a small but significant European region, Catalonia.1 We start with a brief description of the population, economy and culture of Catalonia, in order to provide an appropriate historical and geographical context for the main theme of the chapter: recent immigration and employment. One particular historical trend will be stressed: the tradition of Catalonia being an immigration region for flows from other parts of Spain. Hence, in one sense, recent foreign immigration is not ‘new’, but merely the continuation of an already established migration trend, but with different origins. Also relevant in the Catalan context are immigration flows from other parts of Europe. Rather like the case of Portugal described in the previous chapter, the impact of recent foreign immigration in Spain is polarized at the top and especially at the bottom of the labour market; comparisons will also be made with the employment situation of immigrants in Spain as a whole. The final part of the chapter will examine some social and political issues surrounding recent immigration and settlement, noting how these are too often distorted in media discussion which also fails to bring out the complexity and variety of migration trajectories of arrival, settlement, mobility and return.