As it has been said, immigration is one of the causes of the rapid increase of the Uruguayan population, a fact that evidently shows the great number of foreigners that are existing there. The immigratory movement in the quinquennium 1922-1926 was the one, that in continuation is expressed:
 

The fact that a good part of this immigration fixes its permanence in Uruguay in a definite manner, explains itself by the democratic character of printed matter to its legislation, under whose protection all beliefs are respected, all religions are tolerated and all the habits and customs are lawful to the condition of adjusting itself to the cultured frame of the public and private moral. Powerful causes that contribute in giving the picture of Uruguayan sociology, a characteristic stroke of cosmopolitan which makes it special.

The vast field for the speculations of all gender that the American territories offered while they did not omit being Spanish colonies, were reasons for attracting numerous people who left the Iberian Peninsula and removed to the New World, where the avid ones settled to make a fortune in the least time possible. While the Spanish America depended on the mother-land, the colonies were populating very slowly, but once emancipated, the stream of immigration was so extraordinary with regard to the Republic, the number of its settlers were duplicated, barely constituted and peace established. The open doors to all the nationalities of the Old World, resulted in the adventurous character, the political,  the ambitious, as well as pauperism being directed to the shores of Uruguay. Spaniards, Italians, French, English etc., whose immense majority were definitively installed in the country were favored by the material benefits which they found in it, the liberality of the laws that prevailed, the benignancy of the climate, the simple customs and frank character of their children and to the best compensation of labor, fulfilling the unavoidable law of adaptation.

The immigration fomented by a judicious propaganda and certain protection given by the governments, has not ceased since then, although it has been subject to the alternatives by which the country has experienced; sometimes anarchism by internal wars, others submitting to the blunders of unpopular magistrates, and at times detained in the path of progress by economic and political crisis, whose intensity and duration has made the number of immigrants momentarily diminish. Vanished the causes of retrocession or at least of stagnation, the immigratory stream has been restored, having at least 70,000 persons established in Uruguay during the years of 1922 to 1926.

The immense advantage of this immigration is its spontaneity, since the Uruguayan Government does not have special commissioners abroad to contract and assign the immigrant to settle in the country. Those who direct themselves to the country, do so by their own inspiration, being well-informed, having knowledge of the superb conditions of its territory, its natural wealth, the type of work to which they can be devoted to, and feeling assured of a good remuneration.

The first tests of colonization began in Uruguay after the foundation of Montevideo (1726), because the previously made attempts resulted in negative results. The disposition dictated by the founder of this city, granting large favors of land, cattle, seeds and farming implements to all subjects of the Kings of Spain that resolved to move to Plata, attracted some people that settled in the jurisdiction of Montevideo, dedicating themselves to cattle-raising and agriculture, thus extending the colonization, as new towns were being created.

After the San Ildefonso Treaty (1777), the Town Hall of Montevideo managed the arrival of the immigrants to whom not only were extended the benefits of the edict of Zabala, but were exempt from payment of taxes during a certain number of years, and even assisted them with money in order that they would not suffer any kind of privation during the earlier part of their permanence in these lands. So is the origin of the Galician and the Asturian population that were dedicated to the agriculture in Canelones, San Jose, Florida and Maldonado.

When the regulation of free commerce was promulgated and the Customs of Montevideo was created, and the first exports of salted meat commenced, the increase of the population was general, for at that time the flow to Uruguay were not only composed of agriculturists, but also of workers, artisans and merchants, who concluded to establish their residence in a definite way.

At the beginning of the XIX century, it is noted that new elements of population had taken roots in Uruguay, among which began to appear the first colonists that arrived from the Canary Islands, whose islands during many years continued providing laborious people of which in its totality were dedicated to agriculture. From the English Invasion (1806) to the creation of the Republic (1830), immigration was null, but after this last date, it assumed a permanent and cosmopolitan character, since ending Spain's dominion, Uruguay became open to all the countries of the world. In spite of what is expressed, the territory of the Republic was exclusively dedicated to cattle-raising, observing only the existence of some orchards and farms in the neighboring nucleus of population, a fact that the governments decided to offer facilities of all classes for the establishment of agrarian colonies with suitable elements subjected to contracts which in the long run would convert the colonizer into land-owner.

With respect to the sociability that is developed in our agricultural centers, its main characteristic feature is the linking of the national population with the foreign element.

The Uruguayan citizens, accustomed to the life of the colonist, works harmoniously with them. The police and the civil justice have little to do in the colonies. The only foreigner that is looked upon badly is the lazy good-for-nothing and the mercenary. The person who seeks to be gainfully employed will always find the sympathy of the nationals, freedom to conduct business, frank and cordial hospitality. The foreigner is looked upon by the nationals as a powerful element for the moral and material progress of the Republic. Prior to the agrarian colonies, the pastoral colonies terminated with the natives and the deserted land in this country. Today, there is from one extreme to the other of the Republic, the nucleus of the Creole population arising from the pastoral colonization, and of the agrarian colonization under the Spanish dominion. The Spanish element is the one that populates and expands, together with the foreigners that are constantly undergoing assimilation. In Uruguay there are no wasted spaces, or lands that are uninhabited, nor dominion of savages that await the conquest of civilization. The farms and the places more or less nearby or disseminated, in its whole are dotted with the population of rustic laborers forming nucleus, groups or pastoral centers, without being identified as colonies, representing the extension and the promotion of the rustic populations, that is in constant increase year after year.

In conclusion, the following dispositions of Immigration law will demonstrate the ease with which the foreigners can obtain their residency in Uruguay:

Article 6.
Be considered the immigrant for the effects of this Law; all foreigners honest and suitable for work that transfer to the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, by way of steam-ship or sail with a second or third class passage and with intention of establishing residency.

Article 7.
All immigrants upon their arrival to the eastern territory will enjoy the following favors: (1) introduction, freedom from all taxation of their articles of use, clothing, domestic furniture, farming implements or tools of the trade. (2) gratuitous disembarkation with all their luggage. (3) free industry for their convenient placement in the job of their preference. The immigrants with advance passage will also have the right to: (a) gratuitous lodging and sustenance during the first eight days subsequent to their arrival. (b) gratuitous transfer with all their luggage to the point of national territory, where they plan to settle. (c) these last
benefits can be resolved by the executive power to the spontaneous immigration, whenever it believes it to be convenient.

Article 8
The previous provisions are extendable to all the members of the immigrant's family, whenever applicable.

Article 9
The immigrant will verify its good conduct and aptitude for the job with a gratuitous certificate expedited by the consular agent of the republic at the port of embarkation or granted by some local authorities of their home address and properly legalized, being also the consular legalization gratuitous.

Article 10
The immigrant that does not wish to enjoy the favors of article 8 upon arrival to the Republic will make it known to the captain of the ship who will annotate it in the ship's log-book, or to the authorities at the port of disembarkation, and by means of one or another requirement will be considered as simple travelers. Nevertheless the immigrants that travel with
advanced passages, are inhibited in taking this last position, according to the following article.

Article 11
The General Assembly when voting on the general budget of expenses, will affix annually a designated sum to advance third class tickets, for the immigrants who will come to settle in the Republic.

Article 12
The reimbursement of the travel advances will be verified in 2 1/2 years counting from the arrival of the immigrant, by half-yearly quotas of 20 percent of amortization and the corresponding interest at 6% annually.

Article 32
The inspector of disembarkation will direct personally the official and free disembarkation of the immigrants, who have not resigned specifically to the benefits of this Law, procuring that it be accomplished with all comfort for the people and in convenient order for all the luggage.

Article 33
The inspector of disembarkation will also accompany the immigrants until they are settled in the Hotel of Immigrants and in possession of their respective luggage, taking care until that moment that no one demands, nor requests payment or recompense of services, which they will receive.

Article 35
In case of a serious disease that the immigrant may have been infected with  during the trip or while staying at the Hotel of Immigrants, the expenses of lodging, maintenance, and medical attention, at the establishment will always be on the account of the State, even after the decided term.

Article 36
The Department of Immigration and Agriculture will be a work agency, in effect to provide for the necessities of manual labor of the national industry, with the services of the immigrants who take refuge in this law.

Article 37
It consequently corresponds to the Department of Immigration and Agriculture, (1) to register the requests that are made to it by the craftsmen, farmers or journeyman. (2) to process the requests taking care of placing advantageously the immigrant who will satisfy them. (3) intervene, if the immigrant requests it in the contracts that they hold ,and supervise its observance on the part of the patrons.

Article 38
The Department of Immigration and Agriculture, under no circumstance will receive commission or retribution for the services that it lends to the patrons or the immigrants.