1. Case Study Migration: UK Spain
Lesson Aims:
• To know why UK pensioners are migrating to
Spain;
• To understand some of the positive and
negative impacts of this migration.
2. Introduction
• Most immigrants to the UK are relatively young.
• Emigrants from the UK tend to be older; 60% are over 45.
• There are now significant permanent British populations in
several other EU countries.
• The most popular of these countries is Spain.
3. Introduction
• Many emigrants to Spain choose to live in purpose built
villa developments.
• One such example is the Urbanisacion La Marina, near
Alicante, construction of which began in 1985.
• It has the largest proportion of non-Spanish residents of
any municipality in Spain. Around 8,000 of the 10,000
residents are foreign, and about half of them are from the
UK.
4. NUMBERS OF BRITONS IN SPAIN
Total
Inc. part-time
Pensioners
% male
% female
761,000
990,000
74,636
42
41
BREAKDOWN BY AGE %
0-14
15-24
25-44
45-64
64+
9.5
4.9
24.7
39.4
21.5
EMPLOYMENT STATUS%
Employed
Unemployed
Inactive
UK born/ nationals
30.4
6.3
63.4
Locally born
47.5
7.7
44.7
5. Why are Pensioners Migrating?
• Mediterranean Climate.
• Awareness of destination.
• Communications networks.
• Expatriate community.
• Lifestyle of Spanish people.
• Leisure facilities.
• Cost of Living.
• Living longer.
• Property Market.
• Health care.
7. Welcome to Sunny Spain
• Migrating to Spain
• 1.8 properties owned by
Foreign nationals
• 600,000 are British
• Many are holiday homes but many are for the
retired.
8. British and German
dominate this market with
60% of these migrants
being over 45 yrs old.
Significant number of
migrants are retirees
Those between 30 – 40
often set up businesses
Some move as property
developers and still have
business links with the UK,
some even commute.
9. Prices have shrunk
between the two:
• Rise of low cost airlines
• Long term road building
programme in Spain
• The internet
10. Issues
• Ageing in Spain can be difficult – lack of
healthcare means increasing costs
• Many retirement homes are isolated
• Natural beauty of coastal areas have been
reduced
• Water supply issues due to urbanisation
• Spaniards often feel immigrants fail to integrate
• Inflated property prices
11. Impact of migration
• Spread the cards out in front of you and read
through them.
• Sort the cards into 4 piles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Costs for UK
Benefits for UK
Costs for Spain
Benefits for Spain
• Complete the tables
12. Impacts on the UK
Costs
Benefits
Impacts on Spain
Costs
Benefits
13. Impacts on the UK
Costs
Benefits
Family breakup, as grandparents move In
away
part,
emigration
balances
increased immigration, reducing net
migration rates
Loss of potential childminders
Fewer older people to take care of;
Loss of a highly experienced workforce,
especially if they retire early
The ‘grey pound’ is spent overseas
some health and care problems are
effectively exported
Relieves
pressure
to
build
new
homes, and therefore to build on
greenfield sites
14. Impacts on Spain
Costs
Benefits
Immigrant ‘ghettos’ are created, with little
social and cultural integration
Increased spending in the local economy;
some retirees are highly affluent
Resentment as immigrants seek to enter
local politics
Job creation in construction, retail and
other services
House prices become too high for local
people
Areas that were largely unproductive
scrubland become valuable building sites
Healthcare costs are borne by the host
country
Physical
strained
infrastructure
systems
may
be
17. Health and Social Care in Spain
• Free healthcare for British pensioners living in Spain.
• Entitled to same level of care as Spanish people.
• Hospital care in Spain is very good.
But....
• Little aftercare on leaving hospital.
• Limited social care – few residential homes.
• Prescription charges recently introduced.
Implications...
• Older people returning to the UK following health
problems/crisis.
18. Consequences
• Young and skilled will often boost an economy
• Old, families and asylum seekers often cost
the economy initially
• UK treasury say that migrants contribute 10%
of taxes and 9% of Govt spending
• Of the 700,000 Eastern Europeans who arrived
between 2004 -2007 only 5000 claimed any
benefits (70,000 claimed child benefit)
19. • Anti –migration group ‘Migrationwatch’ argue that
migration has little economic benefit
• Equal to 4p per person per week in economic growth
• Ernst and Young 2006 estimated migration had
added £12-18 billion in tax revenues since 1998
20. Managing migration
• Managing migration can be difficult.
• There may be a need for immigrants, but they also bring costs.
• It is very hard to prevent emigration.
• The UK is replacing the present system of more than 80 different types of
work permits with a simpler, five-tier points system based on the
Australian model
• It is hoped this will balance the need for skilled workers with the costs of
providing additional services.
• Since 2002 the UK has taken a tougher line with asylum seekers in order to
reduce public concerns.
21. UK’s 5 Tier system
• Tier 1: Highly skilled This tier includes entrepreneurs, top scientists
and business people. No job offer will be required.
• Tier 2: Skilled with job offer People with qualifications/workrelated experience; job offer in a ‘shortage area’ such as nursing.
• Tier 3: Low skilled Workers from the expanded European Union,
who do not need prior permission to arrive.
• Tier 4: Students Those paying for tuition in the UK.
• Tier 5: Temporary workers, youth mobility
22. Managing Migration
• Poverty and racism can lead to racist tension and
even open conflict
• Govt’s have to manage migration to avoid this
from happening
• Meet international obligations on accepting
asylum seekers
• Limit illegal immigrants
• Match immigration to the needs of the economy
and minimize brain drain
• Integrate host societies
23. Exam Question:
Using an example of a place you have studied,
explain the benefits and problems that
economic migrants can bring for both the host
nation and source nation.
[15]
24. Homework
• Revise for mock!
• TNC’s, Global Networks, Global Groupings, Roots,
Migration
• Ensure you understand all key case studies:
• Coca-Cola
• Switched on and switch off
• Ageing population – UK
• Polish Migration
• Costa Del Sol
• REVISION THURSDAY LUNCH
