La política migratoria en España: Un análisis de largo plazo

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse migration policies in Spain from 1900 until present time. The basic idea is that the so called gap hypothesis (significant and persistent gaps between official migration policies and actual policy outcomes) can also be applied to historical situations. In the Spanish case, the gap between stated policy objectives and outcomes is a constant over time both in the phase of external migration and in current immigration policies. The article is divided in two main sections. The first one presents a brief summary of the main trends in migration policies in Spain since the beginning of the 20th century. The second (and longer) section analyzes the main gaps in Spanish migration policies. Policy gaps are of two kinds: those caused by objectives impossible to fulfil and those caused by the frequent use of inadequate policy instruments.