Informed by the theory of coloniality of power, knowledge, and being, this study presents a longitudinal, contextual, and content-based descriptive analysis of Spanish migration to and from Ecuador between 2008 and 2021. Utilizing a concurrent mixed-methods design, the study integrates quantitative and qualitative data collected to examine this phenomenon within the broader framework of Global North-South migration flows, with particular attention to return migration processes from Ecuador to Spain.
The findings suggest that this migratory dynamic was relatively favorable for Spanish migrants, an outcome attributed to the enduring presence of colonial mechanisms in Ecuador. These mechanisms effectively position individuals from the Global North within Ecuador’s hegemonic social hierarchies, underscoring the ongoing influence of historical and structural inequalities on migration outcomes.
