▁of ▁Catal ans ▁desc ended ▁from ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁migr ations ▁from ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Spain . ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 . 1 ▁million ▁Catal ans ▁are ▁of ▁And alus ian ▁origin ▁alone . ▁ ▁Historical ▁context ▁Between ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁a ▁second ▁wave ▁of ▁a ▁million ▁and ▁half ▁imm igr ants ▁arrived ▁from ▁other ▁less ▁developed ▁parts ▁of ▁Spain , ▁particularly ▁And alus ia ▁and ▁Ext rem ad ura , ▁where ▁hung er ▁and ▁economic ▁hard ship ▁was ▁pre val ent . ▁These ▁new ▁imm igr ants ▁represented ▁ 4 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁Catal an ▁population ▁during ▁this ▁period . ▁This ▁imm igration ▁resulted ▁from ▁the ▁high ▁demand ▁for ▁cheap ▁labour ▁resulting ▁from ▁the ▁new ▁economic ▁policy ▁of ▁" des ar roll ismo " ▁of ▁Franco ist ▁Spain , ▁which ▁involved ▁huge ▁invest ments ▁in ▁se ctors ▁such ▁as ▁transport ▁and ▁infrastr ucture ▁primarily ▁aim ing ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁the ▁tour ism , ▁heavy ▁industry ▁and ▁new ▁indust ries ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁car ▁industry ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁SE AT ▁car ▁company ▁and ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁its ▁factory ▁in ▁the ▁free - zone ▁of ▁Barcelona ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁Such ▁indust ries , ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁jobs ▁and ▁higher ▁sal aries ▁in ▁the ▁Barcelona ▁region ▁would ▁stim ulate ▁two ▁dec ades ▁of ▁imm igration ▁from ▁rural ▁areas ▁throughout ▁Spain ▁- ▁a ▁phenomen on ▁compar able ▁to ▁other ▁large ▁scale ▁international ▁migr ations