In the Basque Country, on January 1st, 2022, there were 255,597 foreign-born people of all ages. The number of foreigners residing in the Basque Country has increased from 46,540 in 2001 to 255,597 in 2022.
Of these 255,597 people from other countries, 44,485 are young people aged 15 to 29.
Below, we are going to present some data on the perception of young people in the Basque Country in relation to foreign immigration. These data come from an online survey that the Basque Youth Observatory carried out in October 2022 among a sample of more than 3,000 young people aged 15 to 29
Among those 15 to 29 year olds, 17.2% think there are too many people from other countries in the Basque Country. Another 62.7% think that there are quite a lot, but not too many. For 9.8%, there are few foreigners in the Basque Country. And the remaining 10.1% do not know or do not answer.
The percentage of young people who think there are too many foreigners in the Basque Country has fluctuated over the last twenty years, more related to the current situation than to the actual evolution of the number of foreig people. The highest figure of young people who thought that there were too many people from abroad in the Basque Country was recorded in 2012 (44.6%), coinciding with a time of severe economic crisis and high unemployment rates. The lowest figure, on the contrary, was recorded in 2020 (9.1%), in the hardest months of the Covid19 pandemic with mobility restrictions.
Young people also have been asked about what should be the most appropriate immigration policy. Half of young people think that the entry of immigrants should be facilitated as much as possible (50.3%). Another 35.3% say that entry should only be facilitated for those with a work contract. On the other hand, in the opinion of 1.5% of young people, the entry of immigrants should be prohibited. And 12.8% do not have a clear opinion and/or prefer not to answer.
The percentage of young people who think that the entry of immigrants should be facilitated as much as possible has decreased compared to 2020, but this is still the most popular option.
Young women are more in favour than young men of facilitating the entry of immigrants from abroad as much as possible (57.4% and 43.7% respectively).
On the other hand, young people were also asked whether they had ever experienced first-hand any situation of discrimination because of their origin. Among young people born abroad and currently residing in the Basque Country, six out of ten reported having felt discriminated at some time due to their origin (61.3%).
Goal number 10 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations is the reduction of inequalities. And, more specifically, within this goal, targets 2 and 7 are:
- Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all people, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or other status.
- Target 10.7: Facilitating orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.
We must all work together to achieve this goal and these targets.
