The 180 Degree turn About Economic Migrants Flow: an Analysis of the Case of Spain and Latin-America

Abstract

This article analyses changes of trend of migration flow due to aggravation of the current economic crisis. After the year 2008 official migration statistics have shown that traditional economics emigration from Latin-American countries to Spain is changing toward the opposite way, so after the 80´s decade the Spaniards are becoming economic migrants again, but with a higher-skilled profile. At the same time the traditional migration flows have been very important for Spain but it is becoming less-skilled immigrants concentrated in cyclical industries (particularly construction), reinforcing the argument that at least some immigration flows respond to the economic cycle; so migration flow could be used like a faster thermometer of economic cycles. A longer and harder crisis has also affected the Administration policies of Spain that, like the most of European countries, are progressively becoming more restrictive but with modest results. Therefore this research has also analysed good practices that could improve the effectiveness of migrants’ policies.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.12.1.4002