A little over two decades ago, the human landscape began to change in the region of Lea Artibai, on the coastal border between Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. The Senegalese began to arrive there to work in the fishing industry, they took root there and today this area cannot be understood without their contribution. Their migratory process has almost always been seen with sympathy by the local population, perhaps because of the exotic point that was perceived in their arrival in such a purely Basque environment and, without a doubt, because of their ease in connecting with the population that received them .
The history of African migrants in this area is, with all its nuances and difficulties, an example of harmonious integration of the migratory phenomenon, especially if you look at the children of this group. It is enough to walk through the streets of Markina or Berriatua, two of the municipalities with the highest percentage of migrants in the Basque Country, to verify this. However, immigration to the Basque Country also leaves other more complicated realities; the risk of segregation affects different areas of social life and it is clear that the management of this phenomenon is not always simple.
At this moment, a little more than 13% of the population of the autonomous community of Euskadi was born abroad and around 30% of the children who are born are children of mothers of foreign nationality. The phenomenon will not diminish, at least as long as the economy and employment are doing well, and taking into account the trends that are happening throughout Europe, the issue calls for proactive policies linked to cohesion and integration.
The director of Ikuspegi, the Basque immigration observatory, Julia Shershneva, believes that the field of education requires special attention in the Basque Country, since “we see that segregation by origin coincides with segregation by socioeconomic status”.
In any case, he considers that Basque society is at a point where it “does not perceive immigration as a problem”, which makes it possible to face this phenomenon rather as a challenge and, at the same time, to distance it from the political clash (the issue with has barely entered the campaign). “We have a 20-year longitudinal perspective and, although negative perceptions increased during the economic crisis, they have gradually decreased in recent years,” he explains.
According to Shershneva, one of the keys is to strengthen the areas of cohesion: “Education is an important part. Lafeina is also another area of ??interaction, although we are very segmented. Sport can be another interesting field, especially in Basque-speaking areas, Basque is an element of brutal cohesion which, at the same time, is an entry route to more stable jobs”.
The professor of Sociology at the University of the Basque Country, Patxi Juaristi, is leading an investigation by the centenary Society of Basque Studies – Eusko Ikaskuntza on Basque identities looking to 2050: “The aim is to analyze which elements will form the Basque identity in the coming years and which can bring us together”. Juaristi lives precisely in Markina, where he appreciates some positive signs. “Here, Basque has become a very important element of social cohesion, especially among children and young people, wherever they come from”, agrees with Shershneva. According to a study by the Sociolinguistics Cluster, between 90 and 95 of the conversations between children and young people on the streets of this municipality are in Basque, despite the fact that a high percentage of those who take part in them are of foreign origin.
The research developed by Juaristi, however, suggests that the phenomenon requires other social links: “Certain socio-community values ??are very important: the acceptance of diversity, the link with the territory, solidarity or social justice. It is very important that they perceive that they live in a society that does not displace them”.
Juaristi considers that the subject must be treated with the complexity and attention it demands. Within the Basque landscape itself, more problematic realities can be seen in which interactions with the migrant group are not abundant. The challenge is complex and in Europe there are many examples of parallel societies. “It is not simple; it is a challenge and requires the promotion of effective policies and the involvement of many agents”, concludes Juaristi.
