From liquid migrations to rootedness: Plans to make the move permanent among recent Spanish emigrants to other European countries
Abstract
Spanish emigration to the rest of Europe following the economic crisis of 2008 has been described as a fluid and transitory migration, known as liquid migration. Indeed, the starting point for this mobility for many young Spaniards was marked by processes such as independence from the family, higher education, or joining the labour market. More than a decade has passed since some of these young people left and made the transition from youth to maturity. This article analyses the reasons that have triggered the essential transition from temporary to permanent migration, an issue that has received less attention in the academic literature. The reasons for permanent migration can be summarised in three categories: employment and economic security; family reasons (having a partner and children at the destination); and non-voluntary reasons that make it impossible to return to Spain. The methodology used is qualitative, analysing 38 in-depth interviews with Spanish emigrants living in the United Kingdom and France who intend to stay there permanently.
Keywords
mobility, Spanish emigration, intra-European migration, roots, integrationReferences
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