{"id":662,"date":"2024-01-11T11:28:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T09:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webs.uab.cat\/migracions\/recerca\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T13:19:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T11:19:57","slug":"recerca","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/webs.uab.cat\/migracions\/recerca\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This GRM website and the historical content is migrating from one web server to another web server at UAB. In addition, the new GRM website is gradually being updated. Thanks for your patience.<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Among others, this section offers contents from several research projects on international migration, including projects like LEMINEE<\/strong> project (2024-2026), ISPESCAT<\/strong> project (2024-2025),  SURDIM<\/strong> project (2021-2023) and the HAMLETS <\/strong>project (2017-2020):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LEMINEE Project <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the spring of 2025<\/strong>, Prof Ruth McAreavey<\/strong> and A Prof Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret<\/strong> started at Newcastle University<\/strong>, UK, a research<\/strong> collaboration mainly focused on rural immigration in Northumberland<\/strong>, a large county in the Northeast of England, UK. This research project is titled The lived experiences of different migrants residing in the Northeast of England<\/em><\/strong>, LEMINEE, and is mainly funded by the University of Newcastle (2024-2026). On 17 December 2024, Ricard Mor\u00e9n had been appointed Visiting Professor in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, GPS, of Newcastle University for a period running from March 2025 to March 2026. Some months before, he had already been awarded as GPS Global Visiting Fellow (GVFs)<\/strong> by that British university in a competitive call for research project proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among others, the initial research period of this international collaboration (up to mid-May 2025) included the following activities in England:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) <\/strong>From 22 April to 8 May 2025<\/strong> intensive and extensive fieldwork<\/strong> was mainly carried out by Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret with support from Ruth McAreavey in a variety of small towns, villages and hamlets of Northumberland<\/strong>, where rural immigration can be found (or not), as well as in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where some relevant regional organisations have their headquarters. This fieldwork has included documental and photographic work<\/strong> as well as audio-recorded semi-structured interviews <\/strong>with 23 key informants born in the Northeast of England, in other regions of the UK and abroad. During the next months, these interviews and the documents gathered will be analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2)<\/strong>\u00a0On\u00a07 May 2025<\/strong>, within the framework of a\u00a0seminar<\/strong>\u00a0chaired by Ruth McAreavey and co-organised by the\u00a0Centre for Rural Economy<\/strong>\u00a0(CRE) and the\u00a0Sociology Department<\/strong>\u00a0of Newcastle University, Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret gave a conference at CRE on\u00a0To be a welcoming village or not to be (welcoming)<\/em><\/strong>. His presentation was focused on rural immigration cases of Catalonia and Northumberland, giving way to a very interesting debate with various participants from the UK, Italy, China and India that may open new avenues for international collaboration. See: https:\/\/www.ncl.ac.uk\/cre\/news\/cre-news\/cre-seminars\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3)<\/strong> On 29 April 2025<\/strong> an Irish Studies Network<\/strong> meeting<\/strong> was held at Newcastle University<\/strong>, organised by Prof Karen Corrigan. This meeting included, among others, a presentation by Ruth McAreavey and Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret on Sustainability in Irish Villages<\/em><\/strong>, introducing a recently published collective article that was discussed both with Irish and British colleagues (see: https:\/\/irishgeography.ie\/index.php\/irishgeography\/article\/view\/1485<\/sub><\/a>). This seminar opened an enriching debate that may pave the way for other future international collaborations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Alwinton, Northumberland (England), April 2025 (@RicardMoren)<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, after some months devoted to transcribing interviews, data analysis and other related activities, during the last week of January 2026<\/strong> the on-site activities of this project on The lived experiences of different migrants residing in the Northeast of England<\/em><\/strong> (LEMINEE) continued. In this sense, two more research meetings <\/strong>were held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne<\/strong> (including the participation, among others, of Ruth McAreavey and Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret) and a second stage of fieldwork<\/strong> and photographic-documental work was carried out by Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret mainly in Northumberland<\/strong>. Among other activities, this fieldwork included five additional semi-structured interviews with key informants that belong to an immigrant workers’ recruitment agency, local community organisations and cultural businesses (in total, 28 semi-structured interviews have been conducted so far). In addition, photographic and documental work took place in libraries, bookshops, newsagents, social venues, etc. of Berwick-upon-Tweed area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland (England), January 2026 (@RicardMoren)<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ISPESCAT project <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In October 2024<\/strong> the Maritime Museum of Barcelona<\/strong>, MMB, and the Institute Ramon Muntaner<\/strong>, IRMU, have awarded the XXV<\/strong> Ricart i Giralt Research Prize<\/strong> to Ms Iris Triola Cors and to Dr Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret for their project <\/strong>titled Immigrants\u2019 incorporation to the fishing sector and sustainability in Catalonia<\/strong>, ISPESCAT: Exploring perceptions of diverse fishermen on changes and continuities<\/em>. This project is being carried out from October 2024 to 31 December 2025. For more information about it, please see: https:\/\/www.mmb.cat\/blog\/recerca\/concessio-del-xxv-premi-de-recerca-ricart-i-giralt\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SURDIM<\/strong> project <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project titled \u201cSustainable Rural Development and International Immigration in the Pyrenees\u201d<\/strong>, SURDIM<\/strong>, is a research project funded by the European Commission and mainly carried out from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). This project started in November 2021 and lasted until August 2023. Its main objective was to study the role that international immigrants may play in the sustainable rural development in the Pyrenees. The research team was mainly composed by Dr Crist\u00f3bal Mendoza<\/strong> (MSCA Research Fellow. UAB Department of Geography), Dr Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret<\/strong> (Principal Investigator, PI, UAB Department of Geography and ICTA), Dr Giorgos Kallis<\/strong> (scientific co-supervisor, UAB-ICTA) and Dr William Berthomi\u00e8re<\/strong> (French scientific co-supervisor at CNRS Passages Lab Universit\u00e9 de Bordeaux).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How immigrants revitalise rural villages?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immigrants are helping to keep alive farming villages and other rural settlements that would have otherwise collapsed from depopulation and\/or ageing. The mountainous Pyrenees region, which unites France and Spain, is no exception. Immigrants have revitalised some local societies of Pyrenean municipalities with fewer than 2.000 residents. The EU-funded two-year SURDIM project will explore international immigration in the rural setting of the Pyrenees. It will study the immigrant pathways of labour and economic incorporation in the French and Spanish Pyrenean municipalities to identify sustainable economic projects managed or supported by immigrants, and present successful experiences in terms of rural development. Desktop research and interviews with immigrants will be conducted to shed new light on how immigration supports sustainable rural development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International immigration is a relatively scarcely studied phenomenon in rural Europe, even immigrants may prevent depopulation and ageing in rural areas. Filling this gap, the project studies the role of international immigrants in supporting local economies, bringing in new ideas on sustainability and revitalising the social fabric of Pyrenean municipalities with fewer than 2.000 inhabitants in four areas with contrasting economic structures in France and Spain. In line with Horizon 2020, the project helps to identify major economic opportunities for innovative companies and contribute to the Union’s competitiveness and employment in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research objectives are: 1) conduct a critical theoretical exercise of international immigration in rural settings; 2) analyse immigrant pathways of labour\/economic incorporation in selected French and Spanish Pyrenean municipalities to identify sustainable economic projects managed\/supported by immigrants, and present successful experiences in terms of rural development; 3) study settlement processes of immigrants in selected municipalities, analysing challenges for social incorporation in rural communities, and exploring issues on well-being and inter-cultural aspects; 4) continue updating and extending to other parts of Spain and France the existing Geographical Information System (GIS) in order to contribute to policy and societal debates on immigration in rural areas. Objective 1 will be achieved through comprehensive desktop research to collect and analyse scientific and policy literature relevant to locate pertinent concepts and theoretical frameworks. O2 and O3 will be attained through primary qualitative data analysis collected in semi-structured interviews with immigrants and key informants, and complemented with participant observation. Through statistical compilation and fieldwork for O2 and O3, statistical data and photo material at a local level will be incorporated into an open-access GIS (O4). The main fieldwork areas in the SURDIM project are the Girona and Huesca Pyrenees (Spain) as well as the Eastern and High-Central Pyrenees (France).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information about the SURDIM project could be found at: https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101023968<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HAMLETS<\/strong> Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The research project titled \u201cImmigration and sustainable development in small villages\u201d(HAMLETS)<\/strong>, was selected in the open call for proposals RecerCaixa2016, promoted by Obra Social ‘la Caixa’ and the Association of Catalan Public Universities, ACUP. This was a project carried out from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, UAB), with an interdisciplinary team (Department ofGeography, LIGIT, ICTA) directed by Dr Ricard Mor\u00e9n-Alegret. The team members during the last phase of the HAMLETS project were (alphabetical order): William Berthomi\u00e8re, Francesc Boya, Carme Freixa, Eva G\u00f3mez, Giorgos Kallis, Ruth McAreavey, Crist\u00f3bal Mendoza, Josepha Milazzo, Laia Mojica, Ricard Mor\u00e9n and Francesc Romagosa. Apart from the UAB, this project also had the active participation of the University of Newcastle (UK), the CNRS (France), the Association of Small Villages in Catalonia (Associaci\u00f3 de Micropobles de Catalunya) and the Association of Mountainous Municipalities in Spain (EsMonta\u00f1as). The project started in Spring 2017, had a duration of three years and finished in February 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In English language, \u2018hamlet\u2019 means \u2018small village\u2019 and, at the same time, Hamlet is the main character of an existential tragedy authored by William Shakespeare. In many parts of Europe, including some areas in Catalonia, sustainable development of small villages is under threat due to, among other factors, depopulation, while many migrants or unsettled people are looking for a new place to live. Ageing and depopulation make these (often rural) places more vulnerable to natural hazards (e.g. wildfires) or uncontrolled speculation\/abandonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was born both from a scientific interest in knowing better the human geography and sustainability prospects in over a third of Catalonia\u2019s territory where less than 2% of the population reside. This low population density is a huge challenge for the country governance. Thus this project aimed also to scientifically inform public policy-makers and to debate with them. In this sense, the project had also active support and participation from the Association of Small Villages in Catalonia, which gathers hundreds of local governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was based on the hypothesis that (international and internal) immigrants have the potential to make social, economic, environmental and cultural contributions to the sustainable development of small rural municipalities in Catalonia (Spain). It was inspired by humanistic geographies as well as political ecologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the period 2017-2020, the main territorial scope of study and the bulk of statistical, documentary and field work was carried out in the autonomous community of Catalonia, but small comparative field work was developed in the Department of the Eastern Pyrenees (France), as well as in the Republic of Ireland (\u00c9ire) and in Northern Ireland (United Kingdom).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In brief, the main research objectives were the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. To enhance knowledge of migrant pathways and settlement processes in Catalan hamlets (within the European context), analysing challenges for sustainability, as well as to study wellbeing and happiness there, paying special attention to inter-cultural instances;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. To carry out action-research with immigrants living in hamlets who have already implemented sustainable development projects;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. To gather data and design a tailored open-access GIS website in tune with policy-makers needs, which would also be useful for people willing to migrate to small villages. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The main research methods used along the project were statistical, cartographical and documental work; semi-structured interviews with international immigrants and key informants, and qualitative data analysis; as well as participatory observation and action research<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For more information about this project, see: https:\/\/ods.cat\/en\/hamlets-immigration-and-sustainable-development-in-small-villages\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    DEVELOPMENT of the SURDIM and HAMLETS projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    PUBLICATIONS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    * Mendoza, C.; Berthomi\u00e8re, W. & Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. (2025) Impacts of International Immigrants\u2019 Capitals on Neo-Endogenous Rural Development in the French and Spanish Pyrenees, European Countryside<\/strong><\/em> journal, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2478\/euco-2025-0012<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    * Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R.; Milazzo, J.; McAreavey, R. & Keaveney, K. (2023) Perceptions of sustainability in Ireland\u2019s small villages during immigration times: Exploring discernments of social, economic, and environmental challenges in rural Cavan and Leitrim<\/a>, Irish Geography<\/strong><\/em>, 56(2), 91-122.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    * Mendoza, C. (2023) \u201cInternational immigration and entrepreneurship in rural areas of the Spanish Pyrenees\u201d. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin<\/strong><\/em>, 72 (2), 119-131.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    * Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R.; Milazzo, J.; Romagosa, F. & Kallis, G. (2021) \u201c\u2018Cosmovillagers\u2019 as Sustainable Rural Development Actors in Mountain Hamlets? International Immigrant Entrepreneurs\u2019 Perceptions of Sustainability in the Lleida Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain)\u201d, European Countryside <\/strong>Journal<\/em>, 13(2), 267-296<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    * Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. & Mendoza, C. (2021)     \u201cInmigraci\u00f3n internacional y sostenibilidad en pueblos peque\u00f1os. Retos y oportunidades econ\u00f3micas, ambientales y sociales en el Alt Empord\u00e0 (Catalu\u00f1a, Espa\u00f1a)\u201d, Revista Internacional de Estudios Migratorios<\/em><\/strong>, 11(2), pp. 1-35<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    * Mendoza, C.; Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. & McAreavey, R. (2020)     \u201c(Lifestyle) immigrant entrepreneurs in Spanish small villages: Rethinking international immigration in rural Alt Empord\u00e0, Catalonia\u201d, BELGEO. Belgian Journal of Geography<\/strong><\/em>, 1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/a>
    * Mendoza, C.; Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. & McAreavey, R. (2020)     \u201cEmprendimiento e inmigraci\u00f3n internacional en \u00e1reas rurales de Espa\u00f1a\u201d, Investigaciones Geogr\u00e1ficas<\/em><\/strong> (Instituto de Geograf\u00eda de la UNAM), DOI: dx.doi.org\/10.14350\/rig.60172<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    * Romagosa, F., Mendoza, C.; Mojica, L. & Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. (2020)     \u201cInmigraci\u00f3n internacional y turismo en espacios rurales. El caso de los “micropueblos” de Catalu\u00f1a\u201d. Cuadernos de Turismo<\/em><\/strong>, 46, 319-347<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    DISSEMINATION IN CONGRESSES AND OTHER ACADEMIC EVENTS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    * Mendoza, C. & Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. (2022) \u201cInmigraci\u00f3n internacional y mercados de trabajo rurales en los Pirineos de Arag\u00f3n y Catalu\u00f1a\u201d. X Congreso de Migraciones en Espa\u00f1a. Madrid: Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset & Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 14-16\/09\/2022.
    * Mendoza, C. & Mor\u00e9n-Alegret, R. (2022) \u201cSustainable rural development and international immigrant entrepreneurs in Girona Pyrenees (Spain)\u201d. 2022 International Geographical Union (IGU). Par\u00eds: Universit\u00e9 de la Sorbonne, 18-22\/07\/2022.
    * Mendoza, C. (2022) \u201cLocal developments and international immigration in the Pyrenees\u201d. EUGEO 9th Conference. Barcelona: Institut d\u00b4Estudis Catalans & Universitat de Barcelona, 4-7\/09\/2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    COMMUNICATION VIA X, TWITTER<\/em>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Since 2017, within the framework of the applied research projects titled ‘HAMLETS. Immigration and Sustainable Development in Small Villages’ (2017-2020) and ‘SURDIM. Sustainable Rural Development and International Immigration in the Pyrenees’ (2022-2024), a number of popular science tweets have been published. These micro-publications on Twitter offer geo-demographic data and photos taken in municipalities with fewer than 2000 inhabitants. Posteriorly these photos can be linked to the Geographical Information System named GISASH that is being developed at UAB. The main hashtags are #HAMLETS #SURDIM and the Twitter accounts that can be followed for updates during the project are @RicardMoren and @CMendozaPerez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    GIS SURDIM-HAMLETS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    During the SURDIM project (2021-2023), the on-line platform of the Geographical Information System (GIS-web) that was developed during the HAMLETS project (2017-2020) has been maintained at a UAB server. This is a pilot open-access GIS web Application on rural municipalities that allows the publication and dissemination of information on sociodemographic statistics, as well as the characteristics and the range of services available to different villages.
    This GIS-web is a sample of one of the geographical tools that can be developed to put rural municipalities on the map and that could be widened up and updated in future projects. The Geographical Information System for Active and Sustainable hamlets and villages (GISASH) has several dimensions and was fed with various data sources (IDESCAT, INE, EUROSTAT\u2026), including a dimension that focuses on available services, bibliography, maps, websites, pictures, etc. that was edited at UAB for some municipalities that responded a survey.
    The GISASH is developed and hosted at UAB thanks to the funding from 2017 to 2020 of the RECERCAIXA Programme (an initiative of the Catalan Association of Public Universities and \u2018la Caixa\u2019 Foundation), from 2021 to 2022 to funding of the UAB Research Group on Ecological Economics (ECONECOL, ref. SGR-1126, AGAUR 2017-2021), from 2022 to 2023 to funding from the European Commission (SURDIM project) and from 2023-2025 to funding from the UAB Research Group on Ecological Economics (ECONECOL, AGAUR 2023-2025). See:     https:\/\/atlantis.uab.cat\/hamlet\/public?request_locale=en#<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ORGANIZATION OF ACADEMIC EVENTS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    * Session Immigrant entrepreneurship, international mobilities and sustainable local development in rural areas<\/em>. Commission \u201cGlobal Change and Human Mobility\u201d. International Geographical Union, IGU. Paris: Universit\u00e9 de la Sorbonne, 18-22\/07\/2022. See: https:\/\/www.ugiparis2022.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    * From February to May 2022, the 18th GRM Seminar Series on Migration<\/em> was organised from the Department of Geography & ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona, UAB-GEO-GRM, including a few sessions directly or indirectly related to the Pyrenees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n