Living in the past, leaving in the present : emigration and diaspora policies in Spain

Abstract

Emigration has long characterised the history of modern and contemporary Spain: from the mid-1800s when Spaniards left the country for Latin America, to the early 2000s, when economic twists and turns brought about new outflows, calling into question Spain’s 'reputation' as an immigration country. Spain has a variegated and detailed policy framework addressing emigration and diaspora. Over time, the Spanish policymaker has remained faithful to a traditional approach which is built on the idea of Hispanidad ('Spanishness'), and privileges diaspora interests over those of mobile citizens. This chapter explores these developments.