Americas Migration Brief - August 26, 2024
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Table of Contents
Integration and Development
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Newly published Decree 370 establishes a regularization process for previously registered Venezuelan migrants in the country through a “Virte II exceptional temporary residence visa,” reports El Universo. The Virte II visa lasts 2 years and may be renewed once for a further 2 years. The Ecuadorian government will accept identification documents expired up to 5 years ago, given current consular challenges. (see also France24, El Pitazo)
An estimated 97,000 Venezuelan migrants currently in an irregular status may benefit from the measure. (El Universo)
“UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Bank and the USAID-WOCCU Economic Inclusion Project welcome the resolution of the Higher Education Council that relaxes the requirements for people with degrees and academic degrees obtained abroad to register them in Ecuador.” (press release)
Changes include the option “to replace the requirement of an apostille on their degree with a sworn statement; and, in case of not having other required documents, except for the degree, people with international protection needs may present a sworn statement.”
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
23 Venezuelan children will start school in Trinidad and Tobago next month, but around 2,000 Venezuelan children in the country remain without access to education, per Newsday and El Pitazo.
“Applications were made on behalf of 187 Venezuelan children, and after interviews, some 111 children were successful. Smith listed challenges as expired documents, low rates of literacy and a lack of translators. Of the 23 children approved, four will be placed at government schools, 18 at denominational schools and one at a private school, he said.” (Newsday)
“The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has said it was not aware Venezuelan migrant children were also being placed in Government primary schools, along with denominational schools,” reports Sunday Express.
“Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has said more Venezuelan migrant children who qualify to attend school in TT will be able to transition into schools in the course of the school year. She also said migrant students will be able to access school lunch and food programmes,” adds Newsday in another article.
🇦🇷 Argentina
“Venezuelan immigrant groups in Argentina this week asked the government of Javier Milei to ease immigration procedures for its citizens inside and outside the country, due to the consular difficulties they face after the closure of its embassy in Buenos Aires following the presidential elections on July 28.” (EFE)
🇨🇴 Colombia
Proyecto Migración Venezuela highlights the challenges faced by LGBTQ migrants in Colombia.
🇨🇦 Canada
The Breach explores growing public sentiment against migration in Canada and the role of the media, electoral cycles, and corporate interests—and explaining the impacts, such as on stymying migrant regularization efforts and restricting temporary labor migration programs.
🇺🇲 United States
“Sixteen Republican-led states are suing to end a federal program that could potentially give nearly half a million immigrants without legal status who are married to U.S. citizens a path to citizenship,” reports AP. The new program, announced in June, started taking applications last week.
A study by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute focused on the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections finds that “anti-immigrant speeches sway voters purely based on rhetoric and not lived experiences,” reports Chicago Tribune.
Asylum, Protection, and Human Rights
🌎 Regional
“LGBTIQ+ people on the move in Latin America can face significant risks of targeted violence and discrimination related to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression,” explains a Mixed Migration Centre report that includes survey data from Mexico, reporting that “91% of LGBTIQ+ respondents surveyed (119 of 131 respondents) said they experienced some form of LGBTIQ+ phobic incident themselves during their migration, mainly in Mexico and Guatemala.”
InfoMigrants highlights a growing number of Latin Americans seeking asylum or other protection pathways in Spain, particularly Venezuelans.
“At least 55 governments around the world restrict freedom of movement in order to punish, coerce, or control people they view as threats or political opponents,” explains a new Freedom House report, highlighting such measures in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
🇲🇽 Mexico
“One migrant was killed and eight were wounded when unidentified assailants in northern Mexico opened fire on the vehicle they were traveling in,” reports AP.
“A letter from numerous U.S. and Mexican civil society organizations, organized by the Mexico-based Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI), called on Mexico’s government to do far more to protect and accommodate people awaiting CBP One appointments. “People await appointments in Mexico’s territory for up to 7 months,” the letter observed. “The extended stay has generated overcrowding in shelters…which, together with authorities’ failure to provide decent and safe spaces for waiting, has forced many people to settle in informal camps.”” (IMUMI; via Daily Border Links)
🇧🇷 Brazil
Earlier this month, a migrant from Ghana died after falling ill while stranded in Guarulhos airport. (Folha, Metrópoles)
Brazil is introducing new rules to prevent migrants in transit from leaving their connecting flights and entering Brazil without a visa. This will mainly impact migrants from Asia and Africa—but only those from countries with entry visa requirements to enter Brazil. The move comes amid growing scrutiny surrounding migrants becoming stranded in Brazil’s airport in unhygienic conditions, with an increasing number additionally looking to seek asylum in the Portuguese-speaking country. Other migrants buy connecting flights that go through Brazil, but instead abandon the connection and look to use the country as an entry point to the Americas en route to the US. (AP, EFE, Bloomberg, Metrópoles; see last week’s AMB)
“Brazil’s justice ministry said that the new guidelines will not apply to the almost 500 migrants currently staying camping out at Sao Paulo’s international airport,” notes AP.
Former Lula administration official Paulo Illes expressed concern to CBN that the measure may run the risk of criminalizing migrants and may actually cause an increase in stranded individuals at the airport.
🇵🇦 Panama
“18 irregular migrants injured while traveling on a bus that crashed in Panama” (EFE)
🇭🇹 Haiti
“In May 2024, Plan International conducted seven focus groups inside a shelter for internally displaced persons in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, in which alarming additional needs were detected. Thirty percent of the participants reported having suffered psychological aggression and three of the seven groups rely exclusively on cash transfers to buy food, being able to eat only once a day.” (Plan International)
🇪🇨 Ecuador
A UNHCR fact sheet highlights growing numbers of Ecuadorians leaving the country and seeking asylum abroad, mainly in the US. 63% of Ecuadorians surveyed in transit through Central America and Mexico in the first half of this year reported fleeing because of generalized violence, while 56% reported personally being a victim of violence in the country.
🇺🇸 United States
A DHS internal watchdog has uncovered that in the last 5 years, “more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings, and ICE was "not able to account" for all of their locations.” (ABC)
“"Without an ability to monitor the location and status of [unaccompanied migrant children], ICE has no assurance [they] are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor," Inspector General Joseph Cuffari wrote in his interim report.”
An essay by emergency physician Brian Elmore at Texas Observer highlights the prevalence of migrant deaths in the desert around El Paso while attempting to cross into the US: “This year’s toll has already surpassed last year’s, according to Border Report. Many of these deaths come from the unrelenting heat.”
“What would a second Donald Trump presidency mean for immigrants?” — Dara Lind of the American Immigration Council breaks it down, explaining Project 2025’s immigration proposals at Immigration Impact.
“As the Democratic Party’s convention launched in Chicago, its platform, published Monday, includes language calling for changes in the law curtailing asylum access at the border during busy times, as is currently happening under the Biden administration’s June 4 asylum rule. Under a section entitled “Temporary Emergency Authority to Shut Down the Border,” the platform—a non-binding document—suggests: ‘When the system is overwhelmed, the President should have emergency authority to expel migrants who are crossing unlawfully and stop processing asylum claims except for those using a safe and orderly process at Ports of Entry. The authority should be accompanied by humanitarian exceptions for vulnerable populations including unaccompanied children and victims of trafficking.’” (platform; via Daily Border Links)
WOLA’s Adam Isacson highlights stories related to the US-Mexico border and human rights at the Weekly Border Update, noting that “Border Patrol’s migrant apprehensions fell in July to their lowest level since September 2020,” and that migration at the Darien Gap has dropped “to just over 400 people per day in August, down from over 1,100 during the first half of 2024.” Isacson cautions, however, “As with most lulls in migration following policy changes, the current decline is likely to be temporary.”
“Border numbers are down significantly. But migrant activists say the restrictions President Biden imposed in June are weeding out people who may have legitimate claims of asylum,” reports The New York Times.
Migratory Institutions and Regional and Bilateral Cooperation
🇺🇸🇵🇦 Panama and United States
Panama has begun the US-funded deportation of migrants from the Darien Gap. It began August 20th with 28 Colombians, followed by a second deportation of 30 Colombians on August 24th—both groups reportedly with criminal records. These deportations did not deviate from common practice, with Colombia receiving such returns since at least 2016—the main difference is the introduction of US funding for these flights. (EFE, press release, SwissInfo, Noticias Caracol; see last week’s AMB)
What is new, however, is that Panama has plans to use US funds to deport a group of over 100 people from India, Ecuador, and China—including a flight of 70 Indian migrants on September 3rd and a flight of Ecuadorian migrants on August 29th. It is not yet clear if any of these migrants have criminal records. (CNN, Reuters)
No plans have been made yet for returns of Venezuelans, according to Panamanian president José Raúl Mulino. (EFE)
🇵🇪🇪🇨 Ecuador and Peru
Peru and Ecuador have activated their binational Migration Alert Consultation System, “which will allow real-time verification of arrest warrants and entry and exit bans for people in both countries,” per El Comercio.
🇵🇦🇨🇴 Colombia and Panama
The foreign affairs ministers of Colombia and Panama visited the Darien Gap together to discuss migration. (La Estrella de Panamá)
🇵🇦🇨🇷 Costa Rica and Panama
The presidents of Costa Rica and Panama met to discuss migration, among other topics. (EFE, El Observador)
🇲🇽🇨🇴 Colombia and Mexico
The foreign ministers of Colombian and Mexican meet to discuss migration, among other topics. (Infobae)
🇸🇻🇺🇸 United States and El Salvador
Salvadoran and US officials met to discuss migration, among other topics. (EFE)
🇵🇭🇺🇸 United States and Philippines
“The Philippines has agreed to a request by the United States to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America… only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the “one-time” deal,” reports AP.
🇨🇦 Canada
Considering new moves to limit labor migration amid growing public concerns, Canada should develop a “multi-year (five-year, for instance) government-wide operational plan providing for provincial collaboration. Ideally, this approach would be multipartisan, so that the upcoming election campaign doesn’t become a war of simplistic catchphrases and unviable promises related to immigration,” writes Anne Michèle Meggs at The Globe and Mail. (see, for example, AMB 8/5/24)
Labor Migration
🌎 Regional
An MPI fact sheet breaks down the numbers on legal pathways for Mexican and Northern Central American nationals to migrate to the US, including both temporary and permanent pathways.
“There are surprisingly few Mexican students studying at U.S. universities, given the size and closeness of the country, and the TN visa has not yet been used extensively to admit high-skilled Mexican workers in certain fields facing labor shortages, such as nursing. These are two areas where pathways might expand in the future.”
🇯🇲 Jamaica
“Senator Damion Crawford, the opposition spokesperson on education, training and competitiveness, says some 1,400 teachers are expected to leave the local classroom for jobs in the United States (US) ahead of the start of the new year and, instead of seeking to retain them, the Government is pursuing a teacher immigration plan,” reports Gleaner, highlighting the opposition’s concerns surrounding the government’s plans to try to recruit migrant teachers from Ghana and The Philippines.
In a recent special edition of the AMB, I explained how salary differences have made emigration an attractive opportunity for Caribbean teachers (and healthcare workers). I present three proposals to address the issue, including expanding migration pathways for migrants to come to the Caribbean and developing Global Skills Partnerships.
🇨🇦 Canada
“Nearly three-quarters of the time, the federal governing body responsible for keeping tabs on employers of migrant workers are giving them a heads up prior to arrival… 70 per cent of housing inspections conducted by the ministry are announced to the employer prior to inspection,” reports National Observer.
Canada is moving to limit the number of low-paid temporary migrant workers and international students in Quebec. The health, education, construction, agriculture, and food processing sectors are excluded from the new measures, though. (Fragomen)
🇺🇸 United States
Niskanen Center calls for the replication of the Conrad 30 waiver program—which helps place migrant physicians in underserved areas after training in the US under a J-1 visa— for other sectors with significant labor shortages, including “construction, semiconductor manufacturing, the green energy transition, and hospitality.”
“Even though Democrats and Republicans are miles apart on most policy matters, they have nevertheless demonstrated a common renewed faith in one particular tool of economic statecraft: industrial policy… The United States has ambitious plans to enhance its supply chain resilience, reduce its external dependence in critical sectors, and outcompete China on emerging technologies. Yet achieving these laudable objectives in a meaningful time frame will require a deep, highly skilled talent pool currently in short supply in the U.S. labor force. Without a more flexible and adaptive immigration policy, even the United States’ best-laid plans will run aground,” write Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav at Foreign Affairs.
Migrants in Transit
🌎 Regional
“The early July announcement of deportations and the new Panamanian government’s other efforts to limit Darién migration has caused a moderate pause in the flow of migration through Central America. 24,133 refugees and migrants transited Honduras in July, a 15 percent decrease from June, according to a monthly update from UNHCR.” (UNHCR; via Daily Border Links)
🇨🇱 Chile
A UNICEF report explores migration to Chile through a survey of migrants in transit entering the country between October and December 2023.
Borders and Enforcement
🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos
“Over 200 Haitian migrants intercepted in Turks and Caicos waters” (CNW)
🇨🇴 Colombia
“Jairo Aguilar Deluque, governor of La Guajira, asked Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday, August 22, to declare a border emergency in the face of a possible new wave of Venezuelan migration,” reports El Diario.
South of La Guajira, in Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), migration has increased, with 800-1,000 Venezuelans entering the city daily. “This mass exodus has caused a shortage of airline tickets at Camilo Daza Airport in Cúcuta bound for Bogotá,” says La Razón.
🇨🇱 Chile
A bill presented by the Renovación Nacional party proposes to shut the Chilean border to Venezuelan migration for a 6-month period. (La Tercera)
🇺🇸 United States
“An American Immigration Council fact sheet broke down the $409 billion that the U.S. government has spent on immigration enforcement since DHS began operations in 2003. It noted that, adjusted for inflation, Border Patrol’s budget has increased 765 percent since 1994.” (fact sheet; via Daily Border Links)
“A document from UnidosUS (formerly known as the National Council of La Raza) endorsed “firm border enforcement,” particularly improvements to ports of entry and prioritizing asylum access for asylum seekers who come to ports of entry. Among other proposals is the creation of “an ‘immigration FEMA’ equipped with the funding and authority to respond to large-scale migration events.”” (UnidosUS, Rio Grande Guardian; via Daily Border Links)