Javier Silvestre

Internal migrations in Spain, 1877 1930

Industrialisation in European countries caused an increase in both internal migration and emigration. Internal migrants were even more numerous than overseas emigrants. However, few empirical studies have sought to explain internal migrations. This article examines the causes and effects of internal migration in Spain with the aim of answering some of the questions debated in the literature. The results show that internal migrations in Spain were driven by economic forces. Moreover, the lag in rural population transfer can be explained by the scant pull of industrial and urban destinations. The article also shows that internal migrants differed in some respects from the people who emigrated overseas. Finally, the impact of internal migration on labour markets is measured.

Internal Migration Patterns of Foreign‐Born Immigrants in a Country of Recent Mass Immigration: Evidence from New Micro Data for Spain

This paper extends the literature on the internal migration patterns of the foreign-born by analyzing the situation in Spain, a country affected by recent but very significant migratory flows. We utilize a standard theoretical framework in order to assess the relative importance of human capital, economic, and social capital indicators. To this end, we take advantage of a new micro database, the National Immigrant Survey (Encuesta National de Inmigrantes – ENI-2007). Our findings suggest that the main theories explaining internal migration patterns of the foreign-born are at least partly true. Evidence is presented in support of the importance of education and knowledge of the native language, income, and networks based on the sharing of social capital among family members, though less so for those based on friends and acquaintances. Spanish citizenship and employment status seem to be less important in explaining the propensity to move within the country. We argue that the lack of significance of some indicators is due mainly to the fact that Spain has become a major destination only very recently as well as to the way different immigrant groups tend to implement strategies for promotion and integration.

Temporary Internal Migrations in Spain, 1860-1930

Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century industrialization provoked quantitative and qualitative changes in traditional European migratory patterns. Most of the economic and social history literature concerning the study of European internal migration during the industrializing period has emphasized permanent migration. This article shows, however, that temporary internal migration was common not only in preindustrial societies but in industrializing ones too. The article also examines the causes and the consequences of the persistence of temporary internal migrations in Spain from the mid-nineteenth century to the period leading up to the outbreak of the Spanish civil war (1936–39). Aggregate data sources are used in depth for this purpose. The information derived from aggregate sources is supplemented by reference to secondary sources, mainly comprising local and regional studies.