MUSLIM AND LATIN-AMERICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN SPAIN (Comparative characteristics of integration)

Spain was characterized by a high proportion of migrants in its population, which was perceived by the majority of Spanish society as excessive, raising concerns about the increased crime, insecurity, competition for jobs and social benefits. With the growth of Islamophobia and xenophobia towards migrants, it was important to analyze the integration problems, that most affected migrants from Africa and Latin America. The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of social, ethnic, cultural and religious characteristics of the Muslim and Latin American immigrant communities on their integration into Spanish society. The empirical basis for the analysis includes the results of investigations by the Spanish think tanks and statistical data from the National Institute of Statistics of Spain on the subject. The analysis showed that the key problem of integration is discrimination against migrants in the labour market and in housing rentals, and the main factors determining the level of discrimination are not so much cultural, religious and ethnic characteristics, as a low social status of immigrants. The success of the migrants' integration depends directly on the results of combating discrimination, xenophobia and racism, which create social tension in society and contribute to the isolation and marginalization of migrants. The results of the immigrant survey indicate that social class and work are determinants of the subjective well-being of immigrants, which means that the labour market is the main area of integration policy. In this regard, labour management and employment policies for immigrants, especially low-income workers, should be the first and central core of strategies for social integration and for combating discrimination and racism.