Area.....................
Date.....................
QUESTIONNAIRE
about
the Bulgarian immigrants in Spain
This research is financially supported by the Marie Curie Training and Mobility of
Researchers Program of the European Community. The information obtained will be used for
academic purposes only. The identity of the respondents is strictly confidential.
Thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.
I. Personal Data:
1. Sex:
Male
Female
2. Year of birth................
3. Place of last residence in Bulgaria................
4. Marital Status:
Single
Married
Married in name only
Widowed
Co-habiting
Divorced
Separated
5. Family structure (living in one household):
5.1 Number of family members at active working age (between 18 and 65 years
of age)……….
5.2 Number of children below 18 years of age……
5.3 Number of family members older than 65 …….
5.4 Do you have any dependent children of your own?
Yes
No
5.4.1 If yes, how many?…..
5.4.2 If yes, where are they?
in Bulgaria
in Spain
somewhere else (specify………………..)
6. Which is the highest level of your education?
No education
Primary school completed
1
Primary school – highest grade finished……….
Secondary school completed
Secondary school – highest grade finished………
High school completed
High school- highest grade finished…………
Technical high school (3 or 4 years completed)
Technical high school – highest grade finished………….
Technical Institute completed (2,5 to 3 years)
Some technical institute – number of years completed
University degree obtained
Some University – number of years completed…..
Post-graduate diplomas (M. Sc., Ph.D.)
II. Migration History:
1. What was your last job in Bulgaria?............
1 A.
Employment in the public sector
Employment in the non-public sector
1 B.
1.Employment in a rural area:
1.1 Employment in agriculture:
1.1.1 in a co-operative
1.1.2 not in a co-operative
1.2.Employment in non-agriculture
2.Employment in an urban area
1C. Employment status:
Employer
Employee
Self-employed or own-account worker
Other (e.g. unpaid family worker)
1 D. Sector of Employment:
Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing
Mining and quarrying
Manufacturing
Construction
Restaurants and hotels
Wholesale and retail trade
Education
Health
Other services (financing, insurance, social and personal services,
electricity, gas, water, transport, storage and communication)
1 E. Occupation:
1 E.1 unskilled
semi-skilled
2
skilled
1 E.2
Professional
Technical
Administrative and managerial
Clerical
Sales
Service
Agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry workers, fishermen, hunters
Production and related workers, transport equipment operators and labourers
2. Were you employed before migrating to Spain?
Yes
No
2.1 If no, how long were you unemployed? (months)…………
3. Did you own land in Bulgaria?
Yes
No
3.1 If yes, how many hectares?…..
3.2 If yes, did you inherit the land?
Yes
No
4. Did you have a car in Bulgaria?
Yes
No
4.1 If yes, how old it was? (years)……….
5. Do you have your own:
flat in Bulgaria?
Yes
No
house in Bulgaria
Yes
No
6. How many members of your immediate family (living in one household) had been
working when you left for Spain?…….
7. What was your family/household income in Bulgaria the last month before you
left? (in levs)?
50-100
101-250
251-400
400-600
<600
8. Do you have other members of your family that migrated earlier to a country other
than Spain?
Yes
No
8.1 If yes, where did they go?…………
9. Why did you leave Bulgaria? (rank the reasons with 1, 2 ,3; mark with 1 the most
important reason)
3
I was unemployed and had no money
I had work but money was not enough to survive
difficult to get well-paid job there
political uncertainty
economic uncertainty
no prospects for improvement of the economic situation in the country
needed money for my children’s education
other reasons (specify).............
10. Have you ever worked in another foreign country?
Yes
No
10.1 If yes, where?..........................
10.1.1 How long did you work there? (months, in total)................
10.1.2 Did you work legally there for any part of the time?
Yes
No
11. When did you first come to Spain? (year, month)................
12. How long have you been in Spain? (total months or years)…………….
III. Factors that Determine the Choice of Spain as a Country of Destination
1. Why did you choose Spain as a country of destination? (rank the reasons with 1,
2,3; mark with 1 the most important reason)
I had money only to come Spain
I had information that it was easy to find job there
relatives already in Spain (specify)…………..
friends already in Spain
higher expected earnings
possibilities for illegal stay/work
possibilities for legal stay/work
expected legalisation of undocumented immigrants
other (specify)............
2. When you first came here, did you come alone?
Yes
No
2.1 If no, whom did you come with?............
3. Did you consider any other country as a possible place to go?
Yes
No
3.1 If yes, which one?...........
4
3.2 If yes, why did not you go there? (rank the reasons with 1, 2 ,3; mark with 1 the
most important reason)
Very high travel costs
I did not have enough money to go there
Didn’t know anybody there
Very difficult to obtain permits to stay/work there
Other……….
4. Do you have a member of your family who is also in Spain?
Yes (specify)...................
No
4.1 If yes, where does he/she live/work in Spain?
He/she lives with me in the same city/village
He/she lives in another house but in the same city/village
He/she lives in another city/village (specify)…….
5. Are you working now?
Yes
No
5.1 If yes, how long have you been working there?.............
5.2 If no, how long did your most recent job last?................
5.3 If no, how long have you been without a job?(weeks)..................
6. How did you find your first job in Spain?
through an office in Spain
through relatives or Bulgarian friends who have migrated earlier
through Spanish friends
through a newspaper
I went myself, asking different employers
recommended by former employers
in other way (explain)..................
7. How did you find your most recent job in Spain?
through an office in Spain
through relatives or Bulgarian friends who have migrated earlier
through Spanish friends
through a newspaper
I went myself, asking different employers
recommended by former employers
in other way (explain)..................
8. How many jobs have you held since your first arrival in Spain?............
8.1 If it is more than one, choose reasons for changing jobs? (rank the reasons with
1, 2 ,3; mark with 1 the most important reason)
seasonal job (e.g. hotels, construction, agriculture etc.)
5
I was fired or laid off
very hard manual work/unbearable working conditions
low payment
employer too difficult to work for
employer did not agree for me to register
other (explain)................
8.2 How long did it take you to find your first job?
immediately
a week
a couple of weeks
a month
2-3 months
4-6 months
< 6 months
8.3 How long did it take you to find your last/most recent job?
immediately
a week
a couple of weeks
a month
2-3 months
4-6 months
< 6 months
8.4 What was your first job?
agricultural work
housework
baby-sitting
elderly care
cleaning of offices, shops etc.
sales
housework and elderly care (baby-sitting)
construction work
hotel work
restaurant/bar work
administrative work in an office
work in a factory
other (specify)……
8.5 What is your last/most recent job?
agricultural work
housework
baby-sitting
elderly care
cleaning of offices, shops etc.
sales
6
housework and elderly care (baby-sitting)
construction work
hotel work
restaurant/ bar work
administrative work in an office
work in a factory
other (specify)…….
9. Are there any Spanish, applying for the job you are doing now?
Yes
No
I am not aware
10. Were there any Spanish natives, applying for your first job?
Yes
No
I was not aware
11. How many employers do you work for now/most now?…………
12. If more than one:
First employer
Second employer
Third employer
On the last month, how
many hours did you
work for him/her?
On the last month, how
did you get paid?
a. Per hour
b. Per day
c. Per week
d. Per month
e. Per half month
f. Per piece rate
On the last month, how
much in cash did you
earn?
Did you get any
payment-in-kind?
(Y/N)
13. Did you speak any Spanish when you first came to Spain?
Yes
No
Just a few words
14. Did you need Spanish at your first work?
Not at all
A little bit
A lot
15. Do you speak any Spanish now?
Yes
No
Just a few words
16. Do you need Spanish at the job you are doing now/ your most recent job?
Not at all
A little bit
A lot
7
17. Do the Spanish natives make more money for the same work you are doing
now/most recently?
Yes
No
I do not know
17.1 If yes, how much more?
0-10%
10-20%
20-30%
30-40%
more than 40%
18. Do you have any medical coverage?.
Yes (specify)...........
No
19. How many days off do you get per month?................
20. What kind of problems do you face at work? (rank the problems with 1, 2,3; mark
with one the most serious problem)
I do not have any problems
hard manual work/unbearable working conditions
employer too difficult to work for
hostility of local people towards migrants
hostility of the other migrants
employers not willing to pay me social security/to register me
other (specify)...............
V. Migrants’ Current Living Conditions:
1. Do you reside/work legally in Spain now?
Yes
No
1.1 If you are illegal now, have you been legal at any other time?
Yes
No
1.1.1 If yes, for which duration?……..
2. If you are illegal, have you been caught by the police?
Yes
No
2.1 If yes, how many times?..............
2.2 How did the policemen treat you?
I was expelled to Bulgaria
I was beaten
I was released after questioning
I was put in jail
something else (explain).............
2.3 If they sent you back to Bulgaria, after how much time did you return [days or
8
months or years]?.........
3. If you did not have a valid working/residence permit for Spain when you first
came, have you ever taken part in a legalization program in Spain?
Yes
No
3.1 If yes, when was it?………..
3.2 If yes, which was the obtained document and its duration (in
months))?……………
3.3 If yes, have you ever paid anyone to obtain a document?
Yes
No
3.3.1 If yes, how much? [euros]……
3.3.2 If yes, whom did you pay?
a lawyer
a doctor
a policeman
somebody else……..
4. In case you have any problems (with the police, with your employer, with locals
etc.), whom do you ask for support? (rank the persons you ask for support with 1, 2,
3; mark with 1 the person you most often ask for support)
nobody
Spanish friends
Bulgarian friends
Foreign migrant friends
relatives in Spain
my employer
Bulgarian Union
NGOs (Spanish, International)……………………..
somebody else (specify).............
5. Where do you live now?
rent a house or a flat
rent a room
hotel
live in the employer’s house
live in friends’ house
abandoned house or dwelling (‘squad’)
somewhere else (specify).................
6. What is the quality of your accommodation?
a) Number of people per room……..
b) Monthly rent paid………….
c) Access to sanitation (number of people using it)…………
7. Do you communicate with the local people?
Yes
Sometimes
No
8. Do you have a friendly relationship with your employers?
9
Yes
To a certain extent
No
9. Do you make close friendships with the other Bulgarian migrants here?
Yes
Sometimes
No
10. Do you make close friendships with Spanish natives?
Yes
Sometimes
No
IF YOU WERE FIRST ILLEGAL AND THEN MANAGED TO LEGALIZE YOUR
STAY/WORK IN SPAIN
A. WHEN ILLEGAL
11. Did you send any money to Bulgaria?
Yes
From time to time
No
11.1 If yes, how often?
weekly
fortnightly
monthly
quarterly
bi-annually
annually
other frequency…..
11.2 If yes, how did you send it? (state the most frequently used way)
through Bulgarian travel agencies in Spain
through friends or relatives
Western Union, Money Gram etc.
Banks
in another way....................
11.3 To whom did you send it? (rank with 1,2,3; mark with 1 the largest
recipient)
my parents
my family (husband/wife or children)
parents, relatives or friends but to my own account
somebody else (specify)........................
11.4 How much did you usually send back per month?[in euros]……
11.5 What share of your earnings did you send back per year?……….
(including goods that you buy and send back)
11.6 After the money you sent back, how much of the remaining earnings did
you save per year? [in euros]……….
11.6.1 How did you save it?
Bank
Building society
10
At home
another way (specify)……..
11.6.2 Where did you keep your savings?
Bulgaria
Spain
B. WHEN LEGALIZED
11. Do you send any money to Bulgaria?
Yes
From time to time
No
11.1 If yes, how often?
weekly
fortnightly
monthly
quarterly
bi-annually
annually
other frequency…..
11.2 If yes, how do you send it? (state the most frequently used way)
through Bulgarian travel agencies in Spain
through friends or relatives
Western Union, Money Gram etc.
Banks
in another way....................
11.3 To whom do you send it? (rank with 1,2,3; mark with 1 the largest
recipient)
my parents
my family (husband/wife or children)
parents, relatives or friends but to my own account
somebody else (specify)........................
11.4 How much did you send back in the last month?[in euros]……
11.5 What share of your earnings do you send back per year?……….
(including goods that you buy and send back)
11.6 What’s the use of your money back in Bulgaria?
Consumption; my family to survive
Children’s education
Purchase of a house
Support of my children
Investment in own business
Savings in my bank account in Bulgaria
11.6 After the money you send back, how much of the remaining earnings do
you save per year? [in euros]……….
11.6.1 How do you save it?
11
Bank
Building society
At home
another way (specify)……..
11.6.2 Where do you keep your savings?
Bulgaria
Spain
12. How long do you plan to stay in Spain?………….
13. Do you plan to apply for family reunification?
Yes
13.1 If yes, for whom shall you apply? child/children
whole family
No
Spouse
The
13. Do you plan to ever return to Bulgaria to stay?
Yes
No
13.1 If yes, what do you plan to do when returning in Bulgaria?
I will go back to the job I left before emigrating
I will start a business there
I will try to find a better-paid job
Training, education
Something else (please, specify)……….
13.2 If yes, when do you plan to return?…………
VI. Migrants’ Use of Social Services in Spain
1. Have you been ill in the last 6 months?
Yes
No
1.1 If yes, how serious your illness was?
I was assaulted
I caught a cold
Something more serious (specify)……..
1.2 If yes, did you use any kind of medical services?
Yes
No
1.1.1 If yes, what kind of facilities did you use? Public
1.1.2 What kind of medical service did you use?
General (External services)
Oncology
Gynaecology
Surgery
Pathology
Orthopaedics
Paediatrics
Ophthalmologic Service
Ears – nose – Throat
Cardiology
Gastroenterology
Infectious Diseases and Allergy
Private
12
Other (specify)….
1.1.3 Did you pay for the visit? Yes
No
1.1.4 Were you hospitalised?
Yes
No
1.3 If you were seriously ill and you did not go to hospital, how did you manage
then?………………
IF FEMALE
1.4 Have you ever delivered a child in Spain?
Yes
No
1.4.1 If yes, what kind of medical facilities have you used?
Private
Public
2. Have you used any educational services in the last 6 months in Spain?
Yes
No
2.1 If yes, what kind of services did you use? Public
Private
Other…..
3. Has any other member of your family used educational services in the last 6
months? Yes
No
3.1 If yes, was it for: husband/wife
Children
3.2 If yes, what kind of services they used? Public
Private
Other…..
3.3 If yes, was it for:
Spanish language
Primary school
Secondary school
High school
Graduate studies
Post-graduate studies
ADDITIONAL REMARKS/NOTES:
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