Catherwood LibraryILR School

Steep levels of unemployment in Spain have caused the country's population to decline for the first time in four decades. Data from the National Statistics Institute says that one percent of Spain's population left the country in 2012. Many jobless Spaniards have moved to Morocco, as statistics show that Spanish immigration to the North African island has increased by 32 percent since 2008. Morocco's Interior Industry has encouraged immigrants to get work permits, though it is estimated that as little as 10 percent of foreigners living in the country have one.