Ruralphilia and Urbophobia versus Urbophilia and Ruralphobia? Lessons from Immigrant Integration Processes in Small Towns and Rural Areas in Spain

Most research on immigrants has focused on their arrival in metropolitan areas or capital cities. However, in some parts of Europe international migration into small towns and rural areas is a significant feature, and as a result populations outside the major cities are becoming more diverse. This paper focuses on Spain, which has one of the most rapidly increasing immigrant populations in Europe. Based on fieldwork in five regions, new qualitative data and innovative insights into the integration processes of international migrants in non-metropolitan Spain are presented. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.