Spain 
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Facts and Figures
Additional ResourcesOverview Migration ActivitiesMigration to Spain has always existed, but it was not until 1990 that it has become an important demographic and economic phenomenon. Spain has 5,144,269 foreigners living in the country (data MTIN June 2011) which represent more than 12 per cent of the total population. Among these figures, 2,476,334 foreigners belong to the Communitary Regime (from European Union Countries), 1.66 per cent more than the previous year, and 2,667,935 foreigners come from countries outside the EU (General Regime), 1.82 per cent more than in 2010. Immigration in Spain is not homogeneous but is dominated by the precedence of regions with a similar culture; such is the case of the European Union, Latin America and North Africa. The countries of origin of most migrants are Romania, Morocco, Ecuador and Colombia, followed by residents from Italy, Bulgaria, China and Bolivia. Regarding cities of destination, most migrants go where there are job opportunities and where their communities are established. The main autonomous communities of destination are Cataluña, Madrid and Andalucía (mostly Barcelona, Madrid and the Mediterranean coast). Taking into consideration the age of foreigners living in Spain, more than 55 per cent are between 25 and 44 years old, which is the working-age population. The economic crisis has seriously affected Spain; the country has an unemployment rate of 20.89 per cent (EPA 2T 2011,) one of the highest among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This rate has affected productive sectors such as services and construction which employ migrants, resulting in a high unemployment rate among them. The actual economic and social situation in Spain establishes then its migration focus on integration and public help for those in social exclusion situations. Donors
IOM Madrid works with other IOM missions on migration and development to strengthen the positive potential of migrants in the development of countries of origin and destination, as well as to strengthen the institutions through expert and qualified human resources. IOM Madrid is working on a pilot project on Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) in Morocco, which tries to analyze the investment possibilities in the country as well as enhances the investment of the Diaspora in co-development projects in the North of Morocco. In the last year, the office in Madrid has also contributed to foster capacity building and employability among unaccompanied minors and young migrants in Madrid, through training in greengrocers and the following internships in shops. Main Projects
Donors
IOM Madrid runs three voluntary return programmes:
In 2011, IOM Spain has also participated in an AVR programme to Bolivia, in collaboration with the IOM La Paz and funded by the AENEAS Programme. Under these programmes IOM Madrid arranges documentation, flights and onward transportation to the final destination, transit assistance if needed and also delivers Reintegration Assistance. As support to the Voluntary Return Programmes, IOM Spain has a programme for Information, Guidance and Support to Voluntary Return of Immigrants residing in the Community of Madrid with two components:
Recently, a VREN programme (Creation of Voluntary Return European Network), has been retained for funding from the European Commission. IOM Madrid is also involved in the fight against trafficking, and is part of the Spanish Network Against Trafficking. Projects
Donors
IOM Madrid has participated in capacity building programmes regarding trafficking, circular migration and temporary agreements through conferences and study tours from other countries, as requested by other IOM offices which financed them. IOM Spain is also part of a European project financed by the EC in nine European countries, aiming at reinforcing the two-way process of integration by shaping the integration strategies of third country nationals and of the host societies. Projects
Donors
IOM Madrid works closely with other IOM Offices in transnational research projects funded by the European Union and other donors, as well as in the development of seminars and conferences to foster and disseminate information and good practices on different migration fields such as trafficking, migration and financial products for migrants. Projects
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IOM Spain
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Fernando el Católico, 10 - 1º A
28015 Madrid
| Tel: | +34.9 144 57 11 6 |
| Fax: | +34.9 159 43 28 3 |
Educational Toolkit
A toolkit teaching young people about migration and asylum in the European Union
