Moroccans in Tarragona and Reus: settlement patterns and residential segregation. Are there ethnic enclaves?

Abstract

Tarragona and Reus are two of the main poles of Moroccan population settlements in Catalonia. The main objective of this research is to analyse the evolution of settlement and residential segregation patterns of this community in both municipalities, and to determine if the mentioned phenomenon has led to the formation of ethnic enclaves, defined as residential areas with a significant representation of one or more foreign populations. For this purpose, we use different measures of residential segregation and population data in all census tracts for the 2004-2013 period. The main results highlight that the concentration and segregation levels have intensified and only one census tract could be considered an ethnic enclave.

Key words: Moroccan population, Tarragona, Reus, residential segregation, ethnic enclaves.