By Santificarnos.com

The integration of immigrants into the Spanish labor market depends more o­n what companies do than o­n the initiatives of central and local government, NGOs, unions, or employers' associations, although that is not to say that the latter do not also have an important role to play, as "all involved will have to make a major effort, given the likely scale of immigration in the foreseeable future. What seems certain, however, is that if they play their role in collaboration with companies, be they state-owned, private or non-profit, their activities will be that much more effective and efficient."

That is the main conclusion reached by Professor José Ramón Pin, Luis López Soriano and Ángela Gallifa in the "Libro Blanco sobre las Mejores Prácticas para la Integración del Trabajador Inmigrante en las Empresas Españolas" ("White Book o­n Best Practices for the Integration of Immigrant Workers in Spanish Companies"). In this study, the authors not o­nly analyze the general state of immigration and the associated labor market problems; they also describe the experience of several companies that hire or organize the hiring of large numbers of immigrants and have made efforts to help them integrate in Spanish society.

The authors scrupulously avoid presenting immigration as a "problem". Not o­nly do they consider it a "fact of life", they also insist that it can make significant contributions to the host country, to the extent that immigration could even be seen as "enlightened self-interest". The authors affirm that "immigrants contribute significantly to the national economy and will be important in the labor market. Between 2002 and 2004, Social Security number applications by immigrants grew at a rate of 8.13% (IRCO-IESE Labor Euroindex), while the rate for the system as a whole was 6%. Also, immigrants pay into the system more than they get out of it". Some indicators show that certain sectors have discovered new business opportunities, such as language schools for learning the local language, banks for transferring migrants' remittances to their home countries, temporary agencies, rental housing, telephone companies for communicating with their families, transportation companies, and others.

Legislation and law enforcement are not enough

Pin, López Soriano and Gallifa argue that the citizens of a country that receives immigration should be pleased, as it is a sign that they are in an enviable position, and that others are coming to their country to escape the difficulties or underdevelopment they have to endure in their own countries. At the same time, they acknowledge that in all receiving countries, including Spain, there is a large number of irregular immigrants, and that this disturbs the labor market and gives rise to a type of social exclusion that is difficult to overcome.

For the authors of the White Book, "legislation and law enforcement as means of containing irregular immigration, though necessary, will never be sufficient. The pressure o­n migrants to leave their countries of origin is too great, due to prevailing economic, social and political conditions. Every so often, therefore, there will have to be a legalization process." They add that "only when conditions in the countries of origin are improved will immigration become a regular, controllable process." They therefore advocate giving development aid to poor countries, arguing that "it is not just a show of solidarity, but also an investment", as indirectly it helps to bring immigration under control.

They further point out that government and NGO-backed initiatives in legislation, health care, education and social welfare in host countries are necessary but insufficient, as "although they alleviate some of the harmful effects of the social exclusion that sometimes accompanies immigration, they do not go to the root of the problem. To do that they would have to offer immigrants employment and a career future. After all, that is the main reason why they have immigrated."

The authors also criticize the fact that, although the European Union, through its directives and the "Green Book", promotes labor market policies of non-discrimination and non-exclusion, the Member States are not interested enough in actually applying them.

Decentralization improves effectiveness

The White Book pays particular attention to immigration policy and the situation of immigrants in Spain, although it also reviews the situation in other European Union countries and Switzerland. Substantial differences exist between countries. The most extreme cases are Austria, with its greater protection of nationals compared with immigrants; and Holland, which (until the latest government took power) was the country most open to immigration, placing immigrants o­n an equal footing with nationals. In any case, all the European countries are now taking measures to curb and control the flow of immigrants. Strictest in this respect is Switzerland.

Generally speaking, the terms of employment for immigrants in low-skilled jobs are worse than for nationals. Wages among immigrants are lower, the proportion of temporary employment is higher, and job insecurity is greater. The fact that the countries of the Mediterranean Basin have large grey economies encourages high levels of illegal immigration.

Not all immigrants are uneducated, quite the contrary. They include many highly educated and highly trained individuals who are unable to find employment in their home countries, although in their host country often they are confined to relatively unskilled jobs. In the medium term, bringing these people into the formal labor market is particularly important for the host country.

According to Pin, Gallifa and López Soriano, experience shows that "decentralizing decision making to the level of the region -in Spain, that means the Autonomous Community- or municipality, or to the level of the industrial sector or individual company, makes for more efficient hiring and integration of immigrant workers. Integration appears to work best when it is handled at individual company level. Nonetheless, decentralization needs to go hand in hand with rigorous inspection by the public authorities to prevent abuses."

Click here to return to homepage