A new wave of Spanish emigration to France and the United Kingdom: who are the emigrants and why are they moving?

Abstract

The number of Spanish nationals emigrating towards the United Kingdom, France, and Germany has risen to consistently high levels. Two main profiles emerge: naturalized immigrants who were particularly hard-hit by the 2008 economic crisis and who emigrate to find work in another European country, and young, often highly qualified, native-born Spaniards for whom freedom of movement in Europe provides opportunities for career advancement