Analysis assistance programs for the return of Latin American migrants in Spain in crisis

Diego López de Lera, Universidad de la Coruña
Katia Lurbe i Puerto

The paper that we wish to present is a preview of the preliminary results of the research project entitled "Immigrants Return Process," funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation Spanish Government (CICYT 2009-11; CSO2008-03651). The research follows a methodology based on the triangulation of three research methods: the statistical analysis of requests for assistance to return, the categorical thematic discourse analysis of a series of interviews to 16 different profiles of people, 16 for each from 3 chosen Spanish regions: Catalonia, Valencia and Madrid, of which 12 are from Latin America (specifically, a Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Uruguayan) and a documentary analysis of the evolution of the various administrative procedures and programs established for the assist return to Spain, complemented by a series of interviews with government officials and NGOs involved in the proceedings involving assisted return. In this paper presented at first, the quantitative significance of the phenomenon of "return" on the set of migration flows affecting Spain, in the context of "Crisis" and the different responses are recorded Latin American communities established in Spain. In a second place, we will have a critical overview of the return assistance programs currently in place, at the same time elucidating the conditions of its production (development and constituent parts). We will finish our presentation with an analysis of the institutional role in Spain in the application process to assist return, and the impact it is having the context of Spain in Crisis in practice association of Latin American citizens.