According to the national statistics agency (INE), 11,500 Granadinos went to others parts of Spain to look for work, whilst a further 2,000 left the country to do the same.

There are many indicators of how the economy is going: imports/exports, new car registrations, unemployment figures, etc, but one of the most dependable markers are the amount of people that leave their home towns in search of work, or better prospects.

There was a massive emigration movement in the 50’s through to the end of the 70’s with people ending up in Germany, France, Belgium and Britain, but by the 90’s that all seemed ancient history, thanks to the influx of immigrants from North Africa, for example. But now we’re back to ’emigration mode.’

With the Province of Granada having one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain, it is no surprise that it is bleeding its population. When you take into account that the total population of Salobreña in 2009 was 12,747, then you get an idea of what 13,500 people leaving the province means – it’s the equivalent of every man, woman, child and his dog in Salobreña packing up and leaving a ghost town behind.

(News: Granada Province, Andalaucia)