The differential treatment of immigrants
British, and other North-European migrants, in Spain are not viewed by the Spanish authorities in the same way as other immigrants to the country. They have a privileged position, are subject to different (special) policies, and are even labeled differently than their African or South American counterparts. They are often referred to as extranjeros (foreigners) rather than immigrantes (immigrants), or they are labelled residential tourists. This is a lesson for all of us in how different migrants are viewed in different ways. There is perhaps even a hierarchy of migration. Think of the word expatriate and the word immigrant for example, and how we think of those two in such different ways.
O’Reilly, K. 2000 The British on the Costa del Sol. London: Routledge
Karen O'Reilly 