Spain’s poor western region is welcoming back heirs of those who once left it – especially from troubled Argentina
The entrance to Vigo marina in Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.Galicia has long been one of Spain’s poorest regions and since the mid-19th century Galicians have emigrated in their tens of thousands to seek a brighter future in theThe Galician regional government says that returnees – the majority are Argentinians – are settling in the area at a rate of three a day.
“For us, these new arrivals are a boon,” said Antonio Rodríguez Miranda, the head of migration for the Galician government. “For some years we’ve put out the message that, if you want to come back, you’ll be welcomed with open arms,” he said.Between 1857 and 1960 over 1 million people emigrated from Galicia, a huge outflow from a region that even today has a population of only 2.6 million.
They went to Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela but the overwhelming majority went to Argentina, mainly the capital, Buenos Aires. It’sDiego Martínez Duro, president of the Argentine federation of Galician associations in Buenos Aires, said: “The first wave went to Cuba because there was an economic boom, but later word got back to Galicia from immigrants in Argentina that there were more business opportunities there and a better standard of living.
“They are mainly middle class and the main reasons for leaving are lack of opportunities and the country’s financial and social problems,” said Rodríguez Miranda. “They’re looking for a better life in Spain, the land of their ancestors, and in particular Galicia which is like their second home.”Karina Alejandra Lomba Díaz, 51, left Buenos Aires in 2019 with her two adult children and has since settled near Santiago de Compostela. Her grandparents are Galician.
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