A case study on the revitalisation of shrinking Spain: migrant reception in rural areas

Abstract

This paper builds upon the growing European political interest in countering rural areas’ depopulation and shrinking trends through rural immigration. Since rural areas’ peripheral characteristics may hinder the host society’s receptivity capacity and migrants’ revitalising potential, this paper raises the question: What factors influence the receptivity of migration to rural areas and its potential for revitalisation? which is addressed with a pilot case study focusing on Aragón’s County of Jiloca (Central Spain), where an integration project took place between 2021-22. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the study preliminary finds that rural areas’ community’s proactivity, strong coordination and social proximity factors favour receptivity. However, social control and challenging structural factors (housing, employment, services, connectivity) hinder rural receptivity capacity. Simultaneously, prevalent socioeconomic inequalities and racism hamper migrants’ revitalising potential. The study finally advocates for a synergy between rural revitalisation and receptivity and uncovers the long-standing role of rural areas in migration management.