Public policies, communication and Moroccan immigration in Spain: from the protection of religious freedom to the promotion of diversity

The article analyses the genesis and the evolution of the public initiatives carried out, in the field of communication, in order to protect the rights of immigrant population in Spain; paying a special attention to the Moroccan group and limiting the period analysed to the last thirty years. The approach is done from an historical and sociological perspective, and since the testimonies obtained in semi-directive interviews carried out with journalists and politicians who have participated in the creation and development of the pioneer initiatives. The results demonstrate not only the imbalance between the actions performed at the national level and those promoted at the regional level (in particular in Catalonia), but also the influence of the interests of the market and the immigration policies.