From Induced to Spontaneous Circular Migration: The Case of Seasonal Labor Mobility Schemes in Spain

For the past ten years, the management and promotion of circular migration flows has been a pivotal element of migration management policy in Spain, particularly of low-skilled workers in sectors such as seasonal agriculture and hospitality. It was commonly considered that this type of international mobility allows migrants to adapt to receiving countries labour market needs without incurring in the social costs of permanent settlement. Additionally, circular migration is regarded as a beneficial form of international mobility for migrants themselves and countries of origin. The aim of this paper is to analyse the Spanish policies developed in relation to the seasonal migrant workers for agriculture. We try to answer two key issues: (a) how Spanish policies regarding seasonal workers have been designed (b) and what purposes they responded to. We take into account three dimensions of the policy making: (a) national labour market demands (b) international relations framework (c) and the legitimization and meaning of these policies in the domestic political arena and economic relations between enterprises, trade unions and levels of government.  In this paper we assess the Spanish legislation on migration, particularly of the measures designed to manage the recruitment of circular seasonal foreign workers in the framework of the bilateral agreements signed by successive governments during the first decade of the XXI century.  Our analysis suggests that labour market needs were a goal in the design and implementation of these policies which promoted forms of induced circularity. We highlight the idea that the seasonal labour mobility schemes in Spain have been shaped by a constellation of interests and a result of a consensual policymaking process at local and regional level in seasonal sectors with a high dependency on foreign workers. Economic crisis has change the whole implementation of these policies creating new forms of “spontaneous” circular migration.