When regional inclusion outperforms the state : the case of the Spanish Basque country

Abstract

The present chapter aims at describing the case of the Spanish Basque Country, one of Spain’s seventeen regions, and how it has coped with its changing population over the past decades. The reason for scrutinizing this particular region is that it has introduced some policies and practices aimed at social inclusion that could—as will be argued—be usefully employed elsewhere to strengthen the social integration of European societies. In keeping with this volume’s focus on practices of solidarity and migrant integration, the wider argument of this chapter is that such practices need not necessarily be aimed at the migrant population, in order to benefit migrants. The Basque case shows how, since migrants and refugees tend to be overrepresented in the most vulnerable sectors of society, inclusive welfare policies can function as useful temporary safety nets, when such policies do not exclude potential beneficiaries based on their nationality.