National Geographic 08.2019

MOROCCO

706,520

ALGERIA

56,569

SENEGAL

49,930

NIGERIA

30,484

GHANA

12,157

MAURITANIA

8,612

MALI

17,742

CÔTE

D’IVOIRE

EQUATORIAL

GUINEA

19,522

GUINEA

9,7 8 0

THE

GAMBIA

17,178

E

U

R

O

P

E

AFRICA

Lepe

Madrid

SPAIN

AFRICAN COUNTRIES

WITH THE LARGEST

MIGRANT POPULATIONS

LIVING IN SPAIN (2017)

African migrants living in

Spain in 2017 originated

from almost every

country on the continent.

Ninety-five percent were

from 10 African nations,

including Morocco—

which accounted for

roughly three-quarters

of the total.

*INCLUDES REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS
RYAN MORRIS AND KAYA BERNE, NGM STAFF
SOURCES: UNITED NATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS,
POPULATION DIVISION; UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

THE LURE OF SPAIN

Waves of African migrants have come to Spain in recent

decades, most of them enticed by Spanish demand for foreign

labor, some by the need to escape instability or conflict.

Nearly a million Africans now call Spain home.

Spain has a bilateral

migration agreement

with Morocco for

Spanish employers

to recruit Moroccan

agricultural workers.

6

5 4

3

2

1

AFRICA

1991 2017

1996 2017

1991 2017

1993 2017

2010 2017

1994 2017

250

250

500

750

250

250

500

750

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

250

500

6. Democratic Republic of the Congo
   War overwhelmed the resource-rich
   Democratic Republic of the Congo
   beginning in 1996.


7. Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
   Civil war began in 2002; in 2010 a
   contested presidential election further
   divided the country between north
   and south.


8. Equatorial Guinea
   Decades of authoritarian rule drove
   political dissidents and others to Spain,
   the country’s former colonial power.


9. Somalia
   Thousands have fled Somalia due
   to ongoing armed conflict since
   1991, as well as periods of severe
   drought and famine.


10. Mali
    Rebellion in the north
    and a coup in 2012 led to
    refugee departures and
    the internal displace-
    ment of hundreds of
    thousands.


11. Algeria
    A 1992 military coup and 10-year civil
    war between the Algerian govern-
    ment and Islamist groups sent
    thousands fleeing to Spain.

LEADING COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR

AFRICAN REFUGEES AND ASYLUM

SEEKERS IN SPAIN (1991–2017)

1990 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 2017

979,000

170,000

Morocco

706,520

SPAIN’S MIGRANT

POPULATION FROM

ALL AFRICAN

COUNTRIES*

SEEKING

REFUGE