La dinámica de la integración social de los inmigrantes y su impacto en la sociedad de acogida. La perspectiva desde Navarra

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse, through a dynamic perspective, the way in which social integration processes are being shaped in some settlement areas, as Navarre, marked by a high economic dynamism, a comparatively high social cohesion and a territorial structure preventing concentrated settlement of immigrants. We will see the specific characteristics of this kind of receiving societies and the differences to other territories with different functions within the Spanish map of migrations, and we will assess in this way their integration potential and their specific problems. Paying special attention to these areas with more integration potential, we will be able to establish the correlation between social integration process of migrants and their positive impact in the welcoming society. The further the process of social integration reaches, the bigger is the profit for the welcoming society in demographic, economic, and social terms. That is a crucial consideration in a moment in which we are facing the first period of a long migration process in Spain, and shows the responsibility of social and employment policies on building an integration model that regards immigration as a positive-sum game in which both migrants and the whole society make profit.