Recent developments in immigration patterns: a case study in Málaga province (Spain)

Foreign populations play an important role in the Axarquia comarca in the province of Malaga, Spain, where in some municipalities they account for over 40% of residents. Many of these populations are very small and have come to depend on immigration to maintain population levels. In this context, the objective of our research is to assess the impact that both Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have had on immigration into these areas. We show how Brexit has led to an increase in the number of Britons registered with their Local Councils, in part due to the postBrexit need to do so; and how the limitations in mobility resulting from the pandemic led to a reduction in immigration into the area to just a few arrivals from nearby areas. We end by showing that, just a year later, the migratory movements into the Axarquia had returned to normal levels.