Americas Migration Brief - October 28, 2024
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Table of Contents
Integration and Development
🇵🇪 Peru
Peru is establishing a series of new policies that will impact Venezuelan migrants in the country. Among the measures, Venezuelans will have to present formal work and rental (housing) contracts—civil society advocates have expressed concern that the policy is discriminatory among difficulties for Venezuelans to formalize their work status. Peru will also monitor remittances being sent from the country and look to prove the origin of Venezuelans’ income when they send remittances abroad. (La República, Efecto Cocuyo, Rostros Venezolanos, Reuters)
An additional decree mandates that hotels and housing providers must require documentation for foreigners staying in their properties, as well as entry and likely exit dates, with all details to be reported to migration authorities, per La República.
🇺🇸 United States
Polls suggesting growing support for mass deportations in the US “may not accurately capture the mood of the American electorate,” reports Vox. A new Data For Progress survey, for example, provided respondents “with nine examples of immigrants and asked for their opinions on whether or not those immigrants should be deported. Of the nine examples tested, a majority of voters support deportations for only two: a person who recently crossed the border illegally (70%) and a person who crossed the border illegally and has a criminal record for a nonviolent offense (67%).” Little support is found for deporting such categories as “a person residing in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from an ongoing conflict (21%), a person who has been awaiting a decision on their asylum application for three years (20%), and a person brought to the U.S. without legal status as a child 20 years ago (19%).”
Despite a restrictionist turn in rhetoric from Democrats, vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump hold “fundamentally opposed views on the value immigrants bring to American society and radically different approaches to confronting unlawful migration,” says Julia Preston at Foreign Affairs, explaining the two presidential candidates’ differing views and potential impacts on the country.
Boris Muñoz warns at El País that some Trump supporters do not believe that he will actually follow through on his rhetoric—migration-related, such as for mass deportations, and otherwise—but that this is “self-deception.”
A first-of-its-kind survey on the US public’s views on Haiti and Haitian migration “found that a slight majority support increased migration from Haiti and more aid to Haiti, and that a third of the population believed the lie about Haitian immigrants in Springfield eating pets,” reports The Haitian Times.
A ProPublica project explores “The New Effects of Immigration,” zooming out and in on recent immigration and explaining “while the number of times U.S. officials encountered migrants at the border spiked in the past three years, only a small share of Americans live in neighborhoods that saw a significant number of new arrivals when compared with their populations. We found that migrants were concentrated in relatively few places around the country.” Full series available here.
🇨🇦 Canada
“Canada said in 2021 it would provide immigration status to undocumented people, then walked back that promise… (Immigration minister Marc Miller) said on Friday he still thinks it is important. He is pursuing a much narrower, sector-specific program. Canada's immigration levels plan designates 50 spots next year for such a program, although he said it is still being developed,” reports Reuters.
Asylum, Protection, and Human Rights
🇦🇷 Argentina
A new decree changes Argentina’s refugee law to prohibit the granting of refugee status to foreigners accused or convicted of “a serious crime,” specifically “terrorist activities, serious human rights violations or any action that compromises international peace and security,” according to La Nación. Serious crimes also include any “that carry sentences of more than ten years in prison in Argentina,” adds El País.
“Human rights experts question the changes, considering that they transform asylum seekers into suspects,” says El País. Another key concern is that rejected applicants will only be given 5 days to appeal their case.
🇨🇺 Cuba
CEDA’s US-Cuba News Brief and El País both highlight disappearances among Cuban migrants setting sail to migrate by sea. CEDA notes, “This tragedy highlights the broader migrant crisis in the region, with rising deaths and disappearances as desperate Cubans attempt to escape.”
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Front Line Defenders documents “escalating violence against those who defend the rights of migrants and people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic.”
🇭🇹 Haiti
“In collaboration with the North-East departmental delegation, a committee has been created to coordinate humanitarian efforts for Haitian migrants expelled from the Dominican Republic, but it faces challenges with no budget or mandate to better coordinate humanitarian operations,” reports The Haitian Times.
“More than 10,000 Haitians have been internally displaced over the past week amid an escalation in gang violence outside the capital Port-au-Prince, according to UN migration agency estimates.” (AFP; via Latin America Daily Briefing)
🇯🇲 Jamaica
“Seventeen Haitians who have reportedly been in Jamaica for about a year were sent back to their homeland Wednesday night,” reports Observer (see also Radio Jamaica News). Deportations of Haitians from Jamaica have received criticism from human rights advocates on the island due to the current conditions in Haiti (see AMB 10/14/24).
🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos
“Debate continues to rage on in Turks and Caicos on the consideration of a new asylum law for the country,” I write at the Just Caribbean Updates newsletter; “Drexwell Seymour explains at The Sun that most of the bill is not actually new, but that key changes include a reorganization of the decision process to now include an independent committee that provides a recommendation to the Minister. Appeals would also be considered by a Refugees Review Committee, as opposed to the current practice in which the Governor hears all appeals. One of the most controversial inclusions in the proposed bill would prohibit migrants who entered the islands illegally from being considered for asylum. Even still, opposition members have claimed that the bill would potentially attract asylum seekers, reports The Sun, while TC Weekly News notes concerns surrounding a need for public consultation. Immigration Minister Chuck Musgrove has defended the bill and asserted that it will improve border enforcement, notes The Sun.”
🇲🇽 Mexico
“In order to reduce migratory pressure in Mexico City… the capital authorities have arranged for these people to be transferred by bus to the northern states of the country, but without clear information or the delivery of regular transit documents, denounced civil organizations grouped in the Central Border Monitoring Group.” The group is concerned that a lack of documentation while in transit through Mexico places these migrants at greater risk, reports La Jornada.
“Far from home: The tragedies faced by migrant children who cross Mexico” (El País)
🇺🇸 United States
The US is granting “Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Lebanese nationals as previously announced in July, and a planned new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Lebanon… In total, approximately 11,000 Lebanese nationals will likely be eligible for DED and TPS pursuant to these actions. There are also approximately 1,740 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Lebanon in the United States who may be eligible for Special Student Relief,” per a press release.
With more than 863,000 beneficiaries, TPS has grown greatly under the Biden administration, reports Bloomberg, noting that a potential Trump administration could seek to discontinue the program, as per the Project 2025 blueprint.
“Two San Diego hospitals, Scripps Mercy Hospital and UC San Diego Medical Center, report 993 “severe falls” from the border wall so far this year (Scripps through August, UCSD through September). That is up 58 percent over falls recorded in all of 2023, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Pedro Rios of the American Friends Service Committee hypothesized that Mexico’s placement of troops in an area east of the city with little or no fencing might be leading more migrants, including those seeking to turn themselves in to authorities, to attempt to scale the wall.” (via Daily Border Links)
WOLA’s Adam Isacson highlights stories related to the US-Mexico border and human rights at the Weekly Border Update, explaining, “The federal judiciary’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier district court verdict finding that the practice of “metering”–posting CBP officers on the borderline to turn asylum seekers back from border ports of entry—is illegal. The decision caps seven years of litigation from migrant rights advocates. It does not directly affect the Biden administration’s current policy of turning back asylum seekers who have not made appointments at ports of entry using the CBP One app; legal challenges continue in that case.”
Migratory Institutions and Regional and Bilateral Cooperation
🌎 Regional
Panama is looking for a third country to accept Venezuelan deportees from the Darien Gap, reports EFE, with one US official saying that such a move could come “in the coming days, weeks at the latest.” These deportations would occur under the US-Panama framework in which the US funds the operation.
Thus far, “Some 787 migrants have been deported on 19 flights financed by the United States for $1,140,846 in air operations carried out by Panama,” reports EFE.
🇪🇸🇪🇨 Ecuador and Spain
Ecuador is looking to strengthen cooperation with Spain on migration, among other issues, reports EFE.
🇨🇺🇭🇳 Honduras and Cuba
A potential agreement to lift visa restrictions between Honduras and Cuba could convert Honduras into a point of entry for northbound Cuban migration, warn El Heraldo and Proceso. Many Cubans currently turn to Nicaragua for entry to Central America en route to the US.
🇲🇽🇺🇸 United States and Mexico
CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil explores at Foreign Affairs the US-Mexico relationship and the importance of continued cooperation on migration, among other issues.
🇲🇽 Mexico
“The Mexican government’s secretaries of interior, foreign affairs, army, and navy met on October 18 “to review the current situation of irregular migration crossing the country, and the repatriation of Mexicans,” Milenio reported.” (via Daily Border Links)
Labor Migration
🇨🇦 Canada
“Canada will sharply lower the number of immigrants it allows into the country for the first time in years, marking a notable shift in policy for the government as it tries to remain in power. Canada will bring in 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, down from 485,000 in 2024, according to a government source. The number of temporary residents, meanwhile, will decrease by about 30,000 to around 300,000 in 2025,” reports Reuters.
Even despite the reductions in planned immigration, “Canada is still peerless in its openness,” says The New York Times.
🇨🇱 Chile
Chile issued 38% more work visas between January and September 2024 than during the same period last year, reports La Tercera, noting, “The National Director of Migration, Luis Eduardo Thayer, explained that ‘the main trends confirm the consolidation of Bolivia as the group with the greatest growth.’”
Migrants in Transit
🌎 Regional
A number of Peruvian outlets have expressed concern that amid Bolivia's current economic crisis, a surge in Bolivian migration may be on the horizon (see, for example, Exitosa). It is not clear, however, how they derive some of the estimates they come up with for potential migration. Meanwhile, a new CID Gallup poll presented on Twitter found that the US (20%), Chile (19%), Spain (18%), and Brazil (9%) are the leading destinations of interest for Bolivians looking to emigrate.
A Mixed Migration Centre report explores regional migration trends over the third quarter.
🇭🇳 Honduras
Honduras has implemented a migration amnesty to allow migrants in transit to pass through the country while heading north without paying a fine or fearing deportation. This measure, which has been renewed and reformed on multiple occasions, risks expiring on December 31, reports Criterio, adding that this “raises concerns about the future of these migrants and the urgent need to establish a more solid legal framework to guarantee their safe and dignified transit.”
“For this reason, the Migration Commission of the National Congress of Honduras has scheduled the presentation of a proposal to reform the Migration Law in November. This initiative seeks to eliminate the fine of 240 dollars that migrants and refugees in transit must pay to obtain a special permit that allows them to travel through the country.”
🇺🇸 United States
MPI reviews the recently published FY2024 data (the fiscal year ends September 30), noting that US-Mexico border arrivals have dropped since January amid increased enforcement from Mexico and other regional efforts.
Borders and Enforcement
🇵🇦 Panama
A new decree establishes fines for migrants that enter Panama irregularly, including through the Darien Gap. Those unable to pay their fines will be deported, reports La Prensa.
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic deported 27,352 Haitians in the first three weeks of October as they launch their mass deportation campaign. (EFE; see last week’s AMB)
🇺🇸 United States
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported a group of Chinese migrants earlier this week on a charter flight to China… Tuesday’s flight marked the second removal of Chinese nationals from the U.S. this year. The first flight, the largest since 2018, occurred in June,” reports The Hill.
“In response to NBC News revelation that 30 percent of Border Patrol’s Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) cameras are broken, Dave Maass of the Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that border surveillance technology is “political theater” and “a wasteful endeavor that is ill-equipped to respond to an ill-defined problem.”” (via Daily Border Links)
An Arizona ballot initiative “would give local law enforcement the right to question, arrest, detain and prosecute anyone suspected of having crossed the Mexico-Arizona border between legal ports of entry,” modeling the controversial SB4 law in Texas, reports NPR.
🇯🇲 Jamaica
A group of 10 Cuban migrants that arrived by boat to Jamaica have been apprehended by authorities. (Radio Jamaica News)
More on Migration
🌎 Regional
“Drug cartels are exploiting a new tool for laundering money—remittances,” explains CFR, calling for the US to “Pass the Remittances and Money Laundering Risk Assessment Act… Prosecute Remittance-based Laundering… Increase Funding for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN),” and coordinate with Latin American neighbors on the issue.