08/05/2013 00:00
TW
0

LIVING and working in Palma, there are foreigners from nearly 150 countries from all corners of the globe.
In the majority of cases (75 percent), the immigrant population (whether it be from within the European Union or from outside it), form groups of significant numbers so that if they choose, they can live “home from home”. Although technically on foreign soil here in Majorca, they can still relate to those who share the same country of origin. There are cases, however, where there is but a mere smattering of representation from far-off places. In the whole of Majorca, there are records of only one immigrant from the following countries: Afghanistan, Barbados, Chad, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mauritius, Qatar, San Marino, Seychelles, Burundi, Swaziland, Surinam, Tadykistan and Trinidad Tobago. Not much further removed from this picture of isolation are registers showing that two men are on the Island from Belize; a man and a woman from Buthan; another couple from Kuwait; and two women from Laos. There are some fifty countries which have minimal representation in Palma, living in the shadows in the city's flatland sprawl.
Those countries which have about five (or a few more) of their natives on municipal registers include Angola (three men and two women); Saudi Arabia (four women); the Dominican Republic (five men and two women); Iceland (five women and a man); Madagascar (four women); Mozambique (three women and two men); Palestine (three men); Korea (five women and two men); Somalia (four men and one woman); Togo (eight men); Ruanda (five men and three women) and Zaire (seven men and one woman).