Diogo, E. Retaining Non-EU Immigrants in Rural Areas to Sustain Depopulated Regions: Motives to Remain. Societies 2024, 14, 25, doi:10.3390/soc14020025.
Diogo, E. Retaining Non-EU Immigrants in Rural Areas to Sustain Depopulated Regions: Motives to Remain. Societies 2024, 14, 25, doi:10.3390/soc14020025.
Diogo, E. Retaining Non-EU Immigrants in Rural Areas to Sustain Depopulated Regions: Motives to Remain. Societies 2024, 14, 25, doi:10.3390/soc14020025.
Diogo, E. Retaining Non-EU Immigrants in Rural Areas to Sustain Depopulated Regions: Motives to Remain. Societies 2024, 14, 25, doi:10.3390/soc14020025.
Abstract
Rural areas, as a system, face multiple challenges. Among these are population decline and attendant economic and social maladies namely demographic issues considering a scarce population. Pull factors for immigrants to go to other countries are known, nevertheless, to comprehend factors for remaining in rural areas after arriving could support a strategic local policy, and for an informed practice. The purpose of the study is to explore motivations shaping immigrants’ intentions to stay in the Alentejo, a depopulated region in Portugal, using a qualitative approach. Research questions are: What motivates immigrants to remain living in depopulated regions in Portugal? Furthermore, what contributions can practitioners and immigrants give for local policy and practice? Eight practitioners and fifteen non-European Union immigrants living in this region were interviewed between 2020 and 2021. Empirical data were analysed, supported by MaxQDA software. Results point out that the intention to remain in rural areas arise from a progressive construction, it is a process that immigrants experience to become motivated to stay long-term. Factors influencing the process include four components: 1. instrumental and material motivations; 2. emotional and social motivations; 3. motivations based on quality of life; and 4. motivations based on political dimensions. Components are conditioned by the availability of : stable and suitable jobs, access to decent and affordable housing, as well as quality of education and health services for their children; additionally to socio-emotional satisfaction, as family reunification, migrants network, integration and real intercultural living in the host community, close relationships to practitioners from social services; and quality of life, such as lower rents, peaceful and secure living conditions, granted a better future for their children as in any another place in Europe, associated finally to the simplified policy enabling one to become a legal citizen. Conclusions highlight implications for policy and practice, suggesting more investment for rural regions to reverse depopulation reality.
Keywords
International immigrants; Rural Areas; Depopulated regions; Keeping people in Low density territories; Regional development
Subject
Social Sciences, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
