A study by researchers from the two public universities of the islands reveals that Canary Islands has become the "epicenter" of mobility in the North Atlantic, with residents from 157 countries and a high migration rate.
The research has been published in the journal Island Studies Journal and analyzes how migration dynamics have evolved in five archipelagos in the North Atlantic, Iceland, Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde from 1960 to the present, as reported this Friday by the University of La Laguna.
The study, conducted by Luis Manuel Jerez-Darias, researcher at the Department of Geography and History of the University of La Laguna, and Josefina Domínguez-Mujica, professor of Human Geography at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, uses quantitative and qualitative methods to identify the factors that have influenced mobility in these islands.
It also analyzes its links with economic development and globalization processes.
And the study concludes that Canary Islands stands out especially for its high rate of mobility since, between 2011 and 2020, the combined migration rate of entries and exits was 23.37 per thousand inhabitants.
In addition, the region showed a positive migratory balance and a great diversity of origins, with foreign residents from 157 countries, a variety that includes historical flows from Latin America and Western Europe, as well as more recent African immigration.
Seven countries (Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Venezuela, Morocco, Colombia and Cuba) represent 60% of the foreign population residing there, reflecting a complex network of historical, economic and cultural connections.
The study proposes a reinterpretation of the concept of "Atlanticity", and does not only focus on its historical and cultural dimension, but focuses on how these island territories have the capacity to generate, channel and receive migratory flows within the framework of capitalism.
This ability is influenced by structural factors such as their insularity, their peripheral location and their colonial and postcolonial history, as well as their economic connection with continental places such as Portugal and Spain, according to the researchers.
In addition, from the point of geographic and biogeographic view, the archipelagos show diverse conditions that also affect mobility: Iceland and the Azores are located on the active Atlantic ridge, where there is volcanic activity related to Rift faults, while Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde are located inside the African plate.
Likewise, the contrast between the subarctic climate of Iceland and the Macaronesian subtropical climate of the other archipelagos creates very different ecological and economic contexts.
From a historical and economic perspective, the study highlights very different trajectories, since Iceland managed to establish a diversified economy after its independence in 1944 and Cape Verde made the transition to a market economy in the 1990s, relying on remittances and international cooperation.
In contrast, Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands have evolved from economies based on the primary sector to focusing on tourism.
In the case of Canary Islands, this change has strengthened its role as an attractive destination, with a migration that is not only economic but is also related to lifestyles such as teleworking and retirement.
Through data from international organizations such as the UN, Eurostat and national databases, the analysis reveals that, since the 1990s, the entry of people has exceeded the exit in most of these territories, driven by tourism, economic internationalization and geopolitical changes.
And while Iceland and Cape Verde adapt to migration models linked to economic development, Madeira and Canary Islands present more complex and mixed trajectories.
The article concludes that these archipelagos have become key spaces to understand human mobility in the global era, where insularity does not imply isolation but becomes essential interconnection nodes between continents.
