Americas Migration Brief - June 3, 2024
Welcome to the Americas Migration Brief! If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing with a friend or colleague.
Se puede acceder aquí a una versión en español del boletín traducida por inteligencia artificial.
Consulte aqui uma versão em português do boletim traduzida por inteligência artificial.
Table of Contents
Integration and Development
🌎 Regional
A Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung report explores the relationship between Venezuelan migration and crime in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, finding that there is a consensus in the research of a lack of connection between public perceptions of migrant criminality and the real data.
“Latin America may be better prepared to meet the challenge of an aging population than other regions because of its relative openness to migration. The region already hosts nearly one third of the world’s displaced population,” notes CFR’s Latin America’s Moment blog.
🇨🇼 Curaçao
A YouTube series by Venezuelan migrants tells stories of their experiences migrating to Curaçao and their challenges living in the country. (Crónicas del Caribe)
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
The Hindu organization SDMS in Trinidad and Tobago has indicated that it would be “willing to take in migrant children” in its school system if they have available space, reports Guardian.
🇨🇱 Chile
“The recent findings of the UC Bicentennial Survey show increasing conflict between Chileans and immigrants, but the breakdown shows an openness to access to social benefits for foreigners,” reports El Desconcierto. Additionally, “the migrant issue has become increasingly associated with violence; almost 90% of the population associates migration with violence.”
🇧🇷 Brazil
Boa Vista, the capital of the border state Roraima, “recorded fewer homeless migrants in April,” in comparison to March, reports Folha BV, adding that as of April, 132,180 Venezuelans have been voluntarily relocated to other parts of the country through the interiorization program, per IOM.
Learn more about Brazil’s interiorization program from last year’s special edition of the AMB on the country’s response to Venezuelan migration.
🇦🇷 Argentina
CAREF raises the alarm over “the return of anti-migrant speeches and practices in the City of Buenos Aires,” reports Nueva Ciudad, noting calls by head of government Jorge Macri “to restore DNU 70/2017, which facilitated the expulsion of hundreds of foreigners between 2018 and 2021.”
🇨🇴 Colombia
The governor of the border state of La Guajira has publicly criticized the mayor of Bucaramanga for his “decision to massively expel migrants with legal charges,” arguing that his policies and rhetoric are xenophobic, reports RCNRadio.
Following the controversy, “the director of Migración Colombia, Fernando García, assured that mass deportations are not carried out in Colombia and that the protection of the human rights of all people is respected, regardless of their nationality,” reports WRadio.
🇨🇱 Chile
Citing the Haitian embassy, InfoMigra summarizes recent efforts by the Chilean government “since 2022 to make the reception of documents for immigration procedures more flexible in the case of the Haitian community.”
🇭🇳 Honduras
A new IDB loan in Honduras will support the labor integration of returned migrants, including through job training and skills certification. (press release)
🇺🇸 United States
“Faith-Based Groups That Assist Migrants Become Targets of Extremists: Charities that feed, clothe and shelter border crossers fear for the safety of their employees and volunteers as the election nears and the vitriol over immigration intensifies.” (New York Times)
“A recent study released by the Atlanta Fed shows an immigration slowdown impacts the U.S. economy, reports David Pendered for Economy Matters. Economists of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors analyzed how the decrease in immigration between 2007 and the COVID-19 pandemic "fueled inflation, led some U.S. workers to decide against investing in education, and contributed to an unbalanced economy," Pendered notes.” (via National Immigration Forum’s The Forum Daily)
Asylum, Protection, and Human Rights
🌎 Regional
I published a special edition of the AMB on internal displacement across the Americas last week: “Amid record levels of migration crossing borders and continents, the 2.8 million recorded internal displacements in the Americas in 2023 are often an afterthought—but they should not be ignored.” In the article, I highlight the cases of Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, and Brazil within the regional panorama.
Check out IDMC’s 2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement here.
Looking at recent displacement in southern Brazil, the Washington Post reports, “Many say they have no desire to return to homes they believe are unsafe. Officials now openly discuss the once-inconceivable: the relocation of entire towns to higher ground.” (see also Bloomberg)
Addressing the risk of climate on displacement, Humans Right Watch highlights a historic case of planned relocation within Panama: “The Guna Indigenous people living on the tiny, overcrowded, and flood-prone island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama will finally be given keys to their long-awaited new homes on the mainland. Community members have anticipated this day since 2010, when they first sought government support to move.” (see also Mongabay)
In Haiti, “75% of IDP sites are located in areas controlled by gangs or in high-risk zones where gang activity is prevalent,” according to a Global Protection Cluster advocacy note. Furthermore, “The protection situation of IDPs, particularly those sheltered in makeshift sites, is extremely concerning and dire. These sites (schools, churches, public or private buildings) are utterly unsuitable for accommodating families fleeing violence. The hygiene and sanitation conditions are deplorable. For instance, 34% of the sites have no latrines, and 66% have communal latrines that are in poor condition or non-functional. Additionally, IDPs rarely have access to potable water, which is only available occasionally when water trucks can deliver it to the sites. Access to food and healthcare is also very difficult.”
A MOVE-LAM report analyzes the impact of climate change and disasters on internal and international displacement in and from El Salvador and Honduras.
🇺🇾 Uruguay
Uruguay has approved a pilot plan that will grant refugee status to around 3,500 Venezuelan applicants on a basis similar to prima facie recognition. The simplified process avoids “the need to carry out an interview, one of the main reasons that slowed down the process.” (press release)
UNHCR celebrated the pilot as making Uruguay a “model” for protection.
🇨🇴 Colombia
A USAID report explores gender-based violence (GBV) impunity as it pertains to internally displaced and Venezuelan migrant survivors in Colombia.
🇺🇸 United States
“The White House is finalizing plans for a U.S.-Mexico border clampdown that would shut off asylum requests and automatically deny entrance to migrants once the number of people encountered by American border officials exceeded a new daily threshold, with President Joe Biden expected to sign an executive order as early as Tuesday,” reports AP, noting, “The talks were still fluid and the people stressed that no final decisions had been made.”
“Texas security forces, principally National Guard soldiers, have begun firing non-lethal ammunition at migrants—mainly pepper irritant projectiles but perhaps also rubber bullets—on what seems to be a routine basis along the Rio Grande between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. The Texas personnel are discharging these weapons even though the migrants are usually on the other side of fencing and concertina wire, and thus pose no imminent threat. Those claiming to have been in the line of fire include families and journalists. Migrants in Ciudad Juárez told EFE that the Texas personnel fire at them even “while they sleep.” They displayed bruises and unruptured projectiles. “In addition to aggressions with weapons, said migrants on the river, are constant verbal aggressions and the use of laser beams to damage the eyes,” the report added.” (EFE; via WOLA)
The humanitarian parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans “Has Significantly Reduced Unauthorized Border Encounters for Eligible Countries,” says Fwd.us, calling for an increase in private sponsorship pathways.
A Strauss Center report on asylum processing along the US-Mexico border notes that “Overall, individuals are waiting up to five to eight months for a CBP One appointment,” among other findings.
“Three San Diego-area House Democrats, along with Texas Rep. Joaquín Castro, sent a letter to leadership of DHS and CBP with questions about oversight of Border Patrol in human rights cases. Castro and Reps. Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, and Scott Peters called on the border agencies to follow recommendations in a May 13 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which found that Border Patrol’s Office of Professional Responsibility needed to improve the independence and impartiality of personnel investigating critical use-of-force incidents. The Southern Border Communities Coalition had raised the issue at a May 28 event in San Diego.” (San Diego Union Tribune; via WOLA)
“USCIS has made progress on initial Venezuela Temporary Protected Status applications w/ processing times down to 13.5 months from 20 months in September” (MPI’s Kathleen Bush-Joseph on Twitter)
WOLA’s Adam Isacson highlights stories related to the US-Mexico border and human rights at the Weekly Border Update, noting that “Mexico’s government reported encountering or stopping 120,879 migrants during the month of April, a record that only slightly exceeds similar numbers reported every month since January… Mexico’s stepped-up efforts to block migrants, which appear to involve aggressive busing into the country’s interior more than deportations or detentions, have left large numbers of migrants stranded there amid a notable drop in U.S. authorities’ migrant encounters.”
Migratory Institutions and Regional and Bilateral Cooperation
🌎 Regional
IRAP has updated its backgrounder on what is known about the US Safe Mobility Offices, currently found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala. (see last week’s AMB)
The Biden administration is planning to expand the offices to include referrals for resettlement to Greece and Italy, according to CBS.
Antigua and Barbuda hosted the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which includes several Caribbean states. “Leveraging diasporas’ skills, networks, economic and cultural capital can boost progress and growth for Small Island Developing States. Migrant remittances and investments serve as complementary sources of finance for families and economies… Well-managed migration can also be built into adaptation and mitigation solutions for climate and environmental resilience, and drive solutions to displacement,” says IOM.
Conference attendees signed on to the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), which includes calling for “Investing in developing the skills of and fostering opportunities to pursue alternative livelihoods for communities displaced by disasters, many of which are exacerbated by climate change.”
“Cross-Border Evacuation Protocol for Countries in the Eastern Caribbean in the Context of Disasters” -- new IOM report
Belize City’s Mayor Wagner called for “leveraging the loss of skills with the embracing of migrants” in response to brain drain from SIDS and the Caribbean region. (LoveFM)
🇸🇻🇪🇨 Ecuador and El Salvador
“The presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, held this Friday “a fraternal dialogue” focused on security policies and the prevention of irregular migration,” reports SwissInfo.
🇬🇹🇺🇸 United States and Guatemala
The US has launched the “Youth with Purpose” initiative in Guatemala to “support young people in vulnerable situations, providing them with training opportunities, access to employment and community service activities, to improve their living conditions and address the root causes of migration.” (press release)
🇰🇪🇨🇦 Canada and Kenya
“Kenya Signs Labour Migration and 4 Other Deals With Canada” (Kenyans)
🇲🇽 Mexico
“Immigration policy in Mexico has always been a secondary issue and primarily influenced by the relationship with the United States government. But having their own strategy, even if it still lacks meat on the bones, is a good starting point for the future and for whoever comes to govern the country in a few months,” writes MPI’s Andrew Selee at El Universal, looking at Mexico’s new “Mexican Model of Human Mobility” institutional strategy. (see AMB 5/20/24)
Labor Migration
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Ecuador hopes to develop new temporary labor migration pathways for its nationals, reports El Universal, noting that the country already has agreements with Spain and Israel and programs to facilitate labor migration to Canada and the US. Ecuador is reportedly currently working to negotiate with Australia, Hungary, and Italy.
Migrants in Transit
🌎 Regional
“In Latin America today, nearly half of all Indigenous peoples have migrated to urban areas due to land degradation, territorial dispossession, climate change and conflict,” reports Al Jazeera, highlighting the impacts of deforestation, climate change, and development on the migratory intentions of an Indigenous community in Peru.
On a similar note: “Severe coastal erosion at Almond Beach in Guyana is displacing Indigenous communities and threatening a sea turtle habitat. As homes and livelihoods are increasingly at risk, discussions are intensifying about the need for inland migration to adapt to these environmental changes, highlighting the urgent human and ecological stakes of climate change in vulnerable regions, reports NewsRoom. (Global Voices)” (via Just Caribbean Updates)
🇭🇳 Honduras
Honduran migration to Spain has increased greatly over the last decade and is majority composed of women, reports Hondudiario, citing IOM.
Borders and Enforcement
🇺🇸 United States
“Justice Department Expands Efforts to Dismantle Human Smuggling Operations and Support Immigration Prosecutions… The Justice Department will continue to prioritize the prosecution of cases involving human smuggling” and increase penalties for the crime. (press release)
More on Migration
🌎 Regional
Several different academic journals (both open source and restricted) published new editions related to migration and migration in the Americas. There is too much to cover here, so I recommend checking out Forced Migration Current Awareness, which links to each of the journals. Some open source papers that caught my eye include:
Haití en las Américas. Puntos de quiebre en las políticas migratorias y movilidades haitianas en el continente (2010-2023) (link)
Migrant Agricultural Workers’ Experiences of Support in Three Migrant‐Intensive Communities in Canada (link)
Migraciones indígenas en América Latina (link)
"Eu moro aqui, trabalho aqui, vivo aqui, mas tenho a cabeça lá": famílias transnacionais, redes e cuidado entre migrantes venezuelanos (link)