E.g., 06/25/2020
E.g., 06/25/2020

South America

South America

With the exodus of more than 4. 5 million Venezuelans, South America is experiencing major change in migration flows and policies. Beyond the immediate migration crisis, the region has experienced more movement in recent years, chiefly for labor reasons, with Brazil the preferred destination for migration from outside the continent. Migration beyond South America is chiefly to the United States and Europe. The articles offered here sketch the dynamism of South America's migration trends and policies.

Featured

The Migration Portal is the first comprehensive website that tracks developments on immigration policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, presenting authoritative research, data, and analysis produced by MPI, governments, international organizations, researchers, and civil society.

A Venezuelan family in Peru
Reports

An Uneven Welcome: Latin American and Caribbean Responses to Venezuelan and Nicaraguan Migration

Large-scale displacement from Venezuela and Nicaragua is reshaping the migration landscape in much of Latin America and the Caribbean. This report, accompanied by the launch of a new Migration Portal offering research and analysis on the region, examines the immigration and integration policy responses of 11 countries, including pathways to legal status and measures to integrate newcomers into schools, health-care systems, and labor markets.

Boats along a river in the Darien Gap, Panama
Articles

As More Migrants from Africa and Asia Arrive in Latin America, Governments Seek Orderly and Controlled Pathways

Growing numbers of African and Asian migrants are moving through Latin America, many hoping to reach the United States or Canada after expensive, arduous, and often dangerous journeys that can take months or even years. As more extracontinental migrants transit through South and Central America, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica have developed the most comprehensive policies to manage these flows, sometimes working in coordination with the U.S. government.

Recent Activity

Articles
May 1, 2006
Detailed Characteristics of the South American Born in the United States
By David Dixon, Julia Gelatt
Articles
February 1, 2006
Argentina: A New Era of Migration and Migration Policy
By Maia Jachimowicz
Articles
November 1, 2005
Colombia: In the Crossfire
By Myriam Bérubé
Articles
June 1, 2005
Shaping Brazil: The Role of International Migration
By Ernesto Friedrich Amaral, Wilson Fusco
Articles
February 1, 2004
Chile: Moving Towards a Migration Policy
By Cristián Doña, Amanda Levinson
Articles
July 1, 2003
Argentina's Economic Woes Spur Emigration
By Maia Jachimowicz
Articles
February 1, 2003
Latino Remittances Swell Despite U.S. Economic Slump
By Roberto Suro
Articles
December 1, 2002
Colombians Flee War Without End
By Hiram Ruiz

Pages

Profile
March 29, 2007
Ecuador: Diversidad en Migración
La diversidad geográfica del Ecuador es casi comparable a los varios modelos migratorios que tiene este mismo país. A pesar de su tamaño, este pequeño país andino de aproximadamente 13,3 millones de habitantes tiene un gran porcentaje de emigrantes. En efecto, los ecuatorianos constituyen uno de los grupos migratorios más grandes localizado en la ciudad de Nueva York y el segundo más grande en España.
Profile
February 1, 2007
Ecuador: Diversity in Migration
Thousands of Ecuadorians live in the United States and Spain, making migration-related development policy a major issue for the government. At the same time, the country has received economic migrants from Peru but has done little to address the Colombian refugee situation, as Brad Jokisch of Ohio University explains.
Spotlight
May 1, 2006
Detailed Characteristics of the South American Born in the United States
The majority of South American born counted in the 2000 census were from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. MPI's David Dixon and Julia Gelatt look at the social and economic profiles of the foreign born from this region.
Profile
February 1, 2006
Argentina: A New Era of Migration and Migration Policy

Despite skilled emigration outflows, Argentina consistently attracts new economic migrants from its neighbors in the southern cone of Latin America. Maia Jachimowicz of Princeton University reports.

Profile
November 1, 2005
Colombia: In the Crossfire
Colombia's ongoing armed conflict has caused millions to leave the country, both as economic migrants and as refugees; millions more have been internally displaced. While the government struggles with these issues, it is also courting Colombians abroad. Myriam Bérubé reports.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Articles
May 1, 2006

Detailed Characteristics of the South American Born in the United States

The majority of South American born counted in the 2000 census were from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. MPI's David Dixon and Julia Gelatt look at the social and economic profiles of the foreign born from this region.
Articles
February 1, 2006

Argentina: A New Era of Migration and Migration Policy

Despite skilled emigration outflows, Argentina consistently attracts new economic migrants from its neighbors in the southern cone of Latin America. Maia Jachimowicz of Princeton University reports.

Articles
November 1, 2005

Colombia: In the Crossfire

Colombia's ongoing armed conflict has caused millions to leave the country, both as economic migrants and as refugees; millions more have been internally displaced. While the government struggles with these issues, it is also courting Colombians abroad. Myriam Bérubé reports.
Articles
June 1, 2005

Shaping Brazil: The Role of International Migration

South America's largest country has experienced waves of immigration and, more recently, emigration. But Brazil has not proactively addressed new migration patterns, including increases in illegal immigrants. Ernesto Friedrich Amaral of the University of Texas at Austin and Wilson Fusco of Universidade Estadual de Campinas report.
Articles
February 1, 2004

Chile: Moving Towards a Migration Policy

Chile's economic growth, political stability, and increased immigration are spurring the development of a new migration policy, according to Cristián Doña and Amanda Levinson.
Articles
July 1, 2003

Argentina's Economic Woes Spur Emigration

MPI's Maia Jachimowicz maps out the challenges ahead for Argentina, which is witnessing an outflow of people amidst continuing economic hardships.
Articles
February 1, 2003

Latino Remittances Swell Despite U.S. Economic Slump

Director of the Pew Hispanic Center, Roberto Suro, looks at how the flagging U.S. economy has not kept Latino immigrants from sending money back to their homelands.
Articles
December 1, 2002

Colombians Flee War Without End

Over half a million Colombians abandon their homes every year as a result of the country's long-running internal strife, creating a flood of internally displaced persons. Hiram Ruiz of the U.S. Committee on Refugees analyzes the roots of the crisis and the difficulties ahead.

Pages