Making your way by moving. Onward migration of Latin Americans from Spain to other European destinations (2006-2018)

Abstract

The migratory impact of the 2008 economic crisis in Spain is well known: a contraction of immigration flows and an increase in emigration, both of Spaniards and of foreigners, either in the latter case due to return or remigration to a third country. With the aim of delving into this last trend, this paper directs its attention to citizens born in Latin American countries who emigrated from Spain to other European destinations, trying to prove that onward migration reveals a changing and resilient identity beyond the crisis. To this end, this research complements a quantitative approach to the flows of onward migrations, with a qualitative analysis on semi-structured interviews. The responses and statements of the onward migrants reveal the circumstances, motivations and strategies that have driven their initiative to emigrate again, as well as their complex feelings of belonging.