Article written by Volvemos.org

Many Spanish emigrants live in large cities like London, Paris, or Berlin during their time abroad. When they consider returning to Spain, this experience influences their decision and, in many cases, makes them want to move away from urban centers like Madrid or Barcelona, ​​sparking a desire to live in rural areas . There are also emigrants who want to return to these areas because that's where their family lives or where they themselves grew up. In these cases, the emotional connection is a determining factor.

Whatever the reason for returning and living in rural areas, those who wish to go back face barriers . Personal barriers arise because they have to dismantle their lives abroad, their own family circumstances, and because of the psychological processes involved in migration ( migration grief and reverse culture shock ); professional barriers involve access to the job market in Spain; and administrative barriers stem from the bureaucracy associated with returning, both in the host country and in Spain upon their return.

Some public administrations have responded to this reality and developed programs to encourage these people to return to their places of origin. However, in doing so, they have neglected rural areas. Several factors explain this. Firstly, return programs are tailored to each administration. For example, the " Volvemos a Córdoba" (We're focuses on facilitating the return of people to the city of Córdoba itself, not to the surrounding rural areas. Secondly, rural areas have fewer resources to reach people living abroad, so even if they develop initiatives in this area, it is difficult for them to publicize them.

We're coming back, an initiative to encourage emigrants to return to Spain

These return plans are the brainchild of Volvemos , a private initiative founded in 2016 by two emigrants who, when planning their return to Spain from Berlin, encountered the aforementioned barriers. Volvemos' objective is to facilitate the return of emigrants to Spain, giving them the opportunity to build their lives back home .

At Volvemos we offer different services that help emigrants in their return, from job guidance psychological support services and administrative advice and support for remote work .

Our experience at Volvemos over the years has shown us the interest of many emigrants in returning to rural areas and the added difficulties this decision entails. These difficulties include the lack of job opportunities in villages, the lack of internet access or transportation routes, and the challenge of finding housing. Similarly, there is a great deal of misinformation about the opportunities rural areas offer. Therefore, as we have pointed out, even though there are initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining new residents, it is almost impossible for people living outside our borders to be aware of them.

Returning to the countryside: the story of Juan Pedro

However, despite everything, there are people who, driven by their desire to settle in rural areas, return and begin a new chapter here. This is the case of Juan Pedro. 

Juan Pedro lived in the United Kingdom for seven years. Born in Tenerife, he trained as an electronics engineer and decided to found two companies on the island. However, due to the difficulties he encountered at the time, he decided to move to the UK to continue developing his project. Together with a partner who was in Tenerife, they created JJRobots , an educational robotics company for schools, universities, and, in general, any organizations interested in robotics and programming.

While all this was happening, Juan Pedro's desire to return to Spain was with him every day. This, along with experiencing fatherhood abroad and the Brexit referendum, tipped the scales and led him to begin his journey back.

At Volvemos, we helped Juan Pedro with his return process through a comprehensive support service that included entrepreneurship mentoring and assistance with administrative and legal questions related to him and his business. In collaboration with local institutions, we were able to find a location for his company in Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo, a town in Córdoba with just 10,000 inhabitants.