Reciprocal youth mobilities between Italy and Spain: A question of elective affinities

Italy and Spain are two countries with important migration traditions, yet very little research has been done on movements between these two Southern European countries. In this paper, the main research question concerns the determinants of migration and, in some cases, return of young Italians and Spaniards. Based on an analysis of the transcripts of 69 in‐depth interviews, we survey migrants' motivations and expectations, their economic and social integration and their future plans, and thereby attempt to understand the specific features of this “horizontal” mobility. The research results find little weight for a purely economic rationale behind the choice of Italians and Spaniards to move to the other country. What seems to be important are two factors acting in combination: (a) the “affinity factor” between the two countries, including the relative ease of learning the language, the consequent frequency and intensity of contact with members of the host population, and the result therefore of “feeling comfortable” during their stay abroad; (b) the lubricating effect of free movement. However, the migration relationship between the two countries is not fully reciprocal and there is one major element of asymmetry. Although experiences of social and cultural integration are positive in both cases, differences in the socio‐economic context, especially the labour market and cost of living, help to explain the imbalance in the two‐way flows, including returns, which is positive for Spain and negative for Italy.