Migrating to grow: positive contributions of migration

Abstract

Migration has been a constant in the history of the Valencian Community, with transformations in line with social, economic and political contexts. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Valencian migration had as its destinations the south of France, Algeria and America. Agricultural crises were one of the main factors driving these movements. From the twentieth century, the region also received internal migration from Andalusia and Murcia, and from the 1960s-70s, international migrants, especially from Europe and North Africa. In the 2000s, triggered in part by Spain’s economic growth, a significant number of foreigners arrived, fully integrating into the Valencian social and labour structure. Data for 2023 indicate that the Valencian Community had more than 5.3 million inhabitants, of which 17.5% were foreigners, mostly Europeans (Romanians, British and Ukrainians). The impacts of migration are manifold, in demographics, economically and in public services. The sociocultural impact has enriched coexistence. The article argues that migration is not a threat, but rather an opportunity to strengthen the welfare state, as long as rights, equality and coexistence are guaranteed.