La inmigración en España
La evolución de la inmigración en España
Inmigration has increased dramatically; in 1990, 2% of the population were immigrants,
now up to 13%. The majority (2.3 million) are from Latin America. While some emigrate
legally, many are illegal immigrants, coming to the country with the pretext of study or
tourism but stay in the country, working until they can obtain permission of residency and
then citizenship. They emigrate for three main reasons;
• They already speak spanish, facilitating their integration and employment,
• They seek a better quality of life, as 30% of latin america live in poverty, due to
political class corruption, economic crisis, criminal organisations, inequality and
poor education,
• They want to escape from violence and repression. 33% of homicides happen in
Latin America, and more than 2.5 million people have been murdered in Latin
America since 2000. Drug cartels are immensely powerful, with more than 250,000
people killed by the violence of drug addiction,
• They are persecuted for their sexuality or gender identity, with 80% of the worldwide
murder of trans people happening in Latin America and 20 people killed every
month for their orientation.
Romanians are the largest European immigrant population in Spain, with more than
600,000. Salaries are higher in Spain than Romania and poverty is widespread. Thousands
of people from northern Europe also migrate to Spain due to the low cost of living, with
many being pensioners spending their retirement on the coasts and beaches of Spain.
138,000 immigrants come from Ukraine, but have had difficulty integrating and finding
work, as many don’t speak Spanish. As a consequence, some decided to move to another
country or return to Ukraine.
A million Africans also live in Spain, although it is significantly harder to migrate there than
any other continent; the borders between Europe and Africa are the most guarded
worldwide, and thousands of Africans risk their life every year to enter Europe, with many
dying in the attempt. 40% of Africans live in extreme poverty, with the least income and a
lack of basic necessities. There is corruption, political instability, frequent conflicts
discrimination; the Nigerian terrorist organisation Boko Haram is responsible for more than
36,000 deaths and the displacement of 2.4 million.
