Amic O Enemic? Immigration and the Catalan Struggle for Independence

Immigration has become a vital topic of research as scholars strive to unravel the complex issue of why immigration goes more smoothly for some groups than for others. Consequently, immigration and immigrant integration has become one of the most pressing policy concerns of the 21st century. Immigration has extended to regions with sub-state nationalist movements, such as Scotland, Friesland, the Basque Country and, as is the focus of this research, Catalonia. Adding to this, associated with the processes of globalisation, there has been a resurgence and intensification of minority nationalist movements seeking more autonomy or independence across Europe in the second half of the 20th century. In a context of political upheaval in the region, this paper aims to examine the impact of the successive waves of immigration to Catalonia on the modern independence movement. The respective status of the immigrant population in Catalonia is a major issue about which there is a divergence of opinion. This study approaches attitudes toward immigrants through the threat-benefit framework, which perceives immigrants as both threatening and beneficial for the receiving society. This research reveal a complexity of attitudes on the impact of immigration on the secessionist movement. The data indicate that, against the backdrop of the independence process in the territory, there exists a range of views on the impact of the various waves of migration to Catalonia. This study suggests that a fuller understanding of the situation in the territory may be facilitated by qualitative approaches.