[Immigrations from the perspective of demography. Impact on health]

Spain has been a crossroads, for confrontation and peaceful living-together. The problems arising from immigration as a mass phenomenon are characteristic of the present times. Variables which define the immigration phenomenon are the attraction to the economically developed countries with an active labour market, while it is inversely related to the distance from the departure countries. The phenomenon is also modified by positive influences as the common language, and by negative factors as the political or social instability. The aging of the populations in developed countries, and the need of labour market, stimulate the immigration phenomenon, which may affect to 2.3% of the population. The reproductive capacity of the population depends not only on biological determinants but also on the heterogeneous culture of immigration, because immigrants are candidates to become stable members of society. There is a logic of discrimination of those which are different. Thus, we need a legislation to establish their rights and duties, as well as an integration policy to favour the cultural diversity.