WP No. 15 (June 2026)
The Politics of Paradise: Lifestyle Migration and Rural Transformation in the Catalan Pyrenees
Author: Hannah Van Canegem

We are pleased to announce the publication of Working Paper No. 15 in the EuroMedMig Working Paper Series, authored by Hannah Van Canegem.

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Catalan Pyrenees, this working paper explores how lifestyle migration is reshaping rural areas affected by depopulation and demographic decline. The paper examines the interactions between northern European lifestyle migrants and long-standing residents, highlighting the complex social dynamics emerging in contemporary rural Spain.

The study shows that rural transformation is not a linear process of integration or exclusion, but rather an ongoing negotiation shaped by cooperation, local tensions, power relations, and questions of belonging. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews, the paper critically examines how migration, privilege, and rural revitalisation intersect in everyday life.

The paper also contributes to broader discussions on sustainable rural development, rural depopulation, and privileged migration, while expanding research on migration and social transformation in Mediterranean rural contexts.

The full paper is available here: UPF Repository – WP15

Stay tuned for more publications from the EuroMedMig Working Paper Series.