Inmigración internacional y emprendimiento en áreas rurales de España: Dinamismo económico y movilidades en pueblos pequeños del Empordà, Cataluña

Abstract

Este artículo estudia los vínculos entre las economías locales, el emprendimiento y la inmigración en los municipios de menos de 500 habitantes de Alt Empordà, España. A partir de una metodología cualitativa, analiza la incorporación económica de los empresarios inmigrantes y compara sus puntos de vista sobre los mercados laborales con los de los empresarios nativos. Se considera la manera cómo contribuyen los empresarios inmigrantes a las economías locales y al tejido social de los micropueblos del Alt Empordà y hasta qué punto las empresas que crean estos inmigrantes siguen una lógica de beneficio económico (o responden a otros criterios, como una mejor calidad de vida). Los empresarios inmigrantes entrevistados, procedentes del norte y centro de Europa, cuentan con un perfil altamente calificado y cubren un nicho particular laboral no cubierto por las personas autóctonas (p. ej., servicios orientados a la cultura). Su éxito empresarial se basa en parte en sus capacidades para crear redes sociales locales, las cuales no solo son necesarias para el desarrollo empresarial, sino también una fuente de bienestar. No obstante, los inmigrantes poseen otras formas de capital, además del social (por ejemplo, capital humano o económico), que les permite poder escoger un cierto estilo de vida y negocio que quizá no estén disponibles para todos los residentes en el área. De esta forma, los inmigrantes pueden crear negocios innovadores que, aunque modestos en términos financieros, pueden estimular el desarrollo rural.

The dynamism and survival of economic activities in rural areas are true challenges in Europe. Frequently, these areas record depopulation and aging processes; processes that, in turn, exacerbate the economic and environmental vulnerability of these territories. Moreover, as older people give up economic activities and are not replaced by younger populations, many rural municipalities enter an economic stagnation phase. As a result, international immigration has become a key source of economic development. The role of immigrants in stopping (or at least slowing down) depopula-tion in rural European areas has been widely recognized in the scientific literature. In fact, the arrival of immigrants in rural areas has been a core element of agricultural restructuring in Europe. In this context, this article examines the relationships between local economies, entrepreneurship and immigration in municipalities with less than 500 inhabitants in the Alt Empordà region, Spain. Specifically, the article analyzes the economic integration of immigrant entrepreneurs in Alt Empordà and compares their views and practices in local labor markets with those of native entrepreneurs. The following specific research questions are put forward: How do immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to the local economies and social fabric of the small towns of Alt Empordà? To what extent do the companies created by these immigrants follow an economic benefit logic (or, on the contrary, respond to other criteria, such as the search for a better quality of life)? Are immigrant entrepreneurship ideas original and innovative, or do they differ substantially from those of non-immigrant entrepreneurs? This article is part of a larger project carried out by the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (Autonomous Uni-versity of Barcelona; UAB) on immigration and economic development in the Catalonia micro-towns, supported by the RECERCAIXA Program (an initiative of the Catalan Association of Public Universities and CaixaBank). This project used a multi-local research based on pre-selected case studies; qualitative methods were used, supplemented with official statistical information. For this article in particular, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with immigrants, entrepreneurs, or self-employed persons, born abroad (all were from other countries of the European Union) that had lived for at least one year in municipalities with less than 500 inhabitants of the Alt Empordà region (Girona). This information was supplemented by additional interviews with key informants from the region. Particularly, a total of 12 Spanish entrepreneurs were interviewed, most of them native of the study area (nine out of 12), as well as seven mayors of micro-towns of Alt Empordà. The immigrants interviewed are multilingual and highly qualified, allowing them to leverage the economic oppor-tunities of the Alt Empordà labor markets and thus occupy specific niches in local economies that are not filled by local inhabitants. A noteworthy finding is that these immigrants consider that culture, nature, and landscape have an in-trinsic (economic) value. In fact, their appreciation of local resources is sometimes a major driver to settle in rural areas. Our research suggests that immigrant entrepreneurs have the ability to re-conceive and rethink the local culture and nature as potential business areas, and recognize unexplored economic opportunities. The entrepreneurs interviewed also acknowledge the relevance of personal networks to the success of their businesses and as sources of well-being (networks involve both long-distance meetings and face-to-face relationships, as well as Internet contacts). Given their small size, some towns seem better prepared than cities to develop this kind of personal ties, influencing businesses that are strongly rooted in rural environments. It should be noted that immigrants have other modalities of capital, in addition to social capital (e.g., human or economic capital), allowing them to choose a certain lifestyle and business that may not be available to all residents in the area. This range of available capital contributes to create new types of innova-tive businesses that, although not large in financial terms or staff hired, can stimulate cross-linked rural development and help strengthen values related to sustainability, community and sense of belonging.