THE EVOLUTION OF IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN SPAIN. BETWEEN EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS AND DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR UNSKILLED LABOUR.

From country of emigration, Spain became a net receiver of immigrants in the early 1980s. In the absence of a nationally specific tradition on the issue, the first immigration policies implemented in Spain were strongly influenced by the emphasis placed by Western European governments in restricting migratory flows towards their countries. That influence over Spanish policy making resulted in a restrictive policy of border control that did not reflect the small magnitude of migratory flows towards Spain, or the insignificant size of the stock of economic immigrants settled in this country at that time. The initial policies, based on the enforcement of a strict control of the external borders, became soon unable to address the problems derived from the growing presence of immigrants. A more sophisticated set of policies (regularisation of undocumented immigrants, development of agreements with sending countries, extension of social rights) was gradually developed to address those issues. Throughout this process of development of a more comprehensive policy on immigration, EU objectives remained a priority for Spanish policy-makers, although reflecting now a more direct involvement of Spanish policy-makers in the definition of a common European policy on immigration. The analysis of the evolution and inter-relation of both Spanish and EU immigration policies highlights the changing nature o