In the last two decades of the twentieth century Spain became a prime destination for foreign immigration, with a doubling of the migrant population in the last decade alone. The country’s political transformation to democracy was the fundamental reason for the resultant opening to migration, but the development of the Spanish labour market certainly influenced the growth of new waves of migration. This is characterised by the development of the service sector and the growing demand for domestic/household employment, due to the increase in European women’s participation in the labour market. It was also linked to factors such as the reduced participation by young indigenous people in the labour market and their higher levels of qualifications, which left vacancies in the lower ends of the labour market. Finally, a key factor was the growth of specialised labour sectors which made it more difficult for indigenous workers to meet labour demands.