Determinants of international migration to the Spanish Regions

Abstract

This dissertation explains using a log-log panel data model, why a regular immigrant tends to choose a given Spanish region as destination. The major factors considered in host communities are related to policy, economic conditions, subsidies, language, and safety. I use a sample of 53 countries worldwide with data extracted from organizations and institutions such as The World Bank and the Statics National Institute from Spain. The study is relevant because in Spain there are many foreign-born citizens gathered in different areas of the country. I focus the study on annual movements of migrants in the two last decades, focused to explain flows through empirical analysis, using a panel data study using the software Stata. If the main results indicate that inflows were only explained by economic reasons, all immigrants would be in Madrid, Catalonia or the Bask country. The reality is nevertheless more complex, since: there are many Romanians working in Valencia, or many Portuguese in Galicia.