The organization of immigrants as enhancer and/or inhibitor of their settlement in host societies: The case of Colombians in Spain

Abstract

Colombian migration to Spain has increased significantly in recent years due to the convergence of many different factors; one of the most decisive factors is the deterioration of economic conditions as well as social and political contexts due to the worsening of Colombia’s armed conflict. This article takes into account the country’s circumstances that directly or indirectly underlie the explanation of Colombian’s mobility. It also poses a question —as basis of the analysis— on the Colombian community’s settlement processes in Spain, in which collective practices play an essential role. In order to undertake the analysis, some theoretic concepts are used to examine the associative initiatives attempted by immigrants, and to stage a preliminary approach to Colombian’s organizational processes in Spain. Even though these are not quantitatively significant yet, they are an important tool for the analysis of migrations because they might be part of a strategy used by migrants to achieve adequate levels of survival, to gain social and economic stabilization, and a closer relationship with the new cultural and social milieu; a strategy that would also allow these migrants to improve their conditions of insertion into the Spanish society. This article seeks to clear the way for an investigative challenge based on the need to examine the conditions, evolution and impact of organizational processes, as one of the fundamental aspects of multidimensional migratory processes.

Keywords

• Colombian migration
• Colombian migrants in Spain
• context of departure
• associative initiatives