MPI SPecial Report on Central America
SPECIAL ISSUE:
CENTRAL AMERICA
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Millions of Central Americans live and work in
NorthAmerica
. This Special Issue looks at what caused the migrationflows to El Norte and theimpacts of Central American migration on both home and host societies.
Top story:
CentralAmerica: Crossroads of the Americas
Many migratory streams from Central America – includingrefugees, economic migrants, and transit flows headed north from South Americaand elsewhere – have converged in North America since the 1980s. Sarah J.Mahler and Dusan Ugrina of Florida International University outline theregion’s main trends.
Spotlight:
CentralAmerican Foreign Born in the United States
Over half of all Central American foreign bornin the United States are from El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI’s Megan Davyexamines the numbers as well as events and policies that have shaped CentralAmerican migration.
Country Profile:
Guatemala:Economic Migrants Replace Political Refugees
Guatemala’s long civil war, which spurred large flows ofrefugees, has given way to high levels of economic migration to the United Statesand an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala’s geography hasmade it a prime transit country for migrants headed north, as James Smith ofInforpress Centroamericana reports.
Features:
Mexico:Caught Between the United States and Central America
Since the 1980s, Mexico has become home to Guatemalan refugees and servedas a transit country for Central Americans seeking to reach the United States.Manuel Ángel Castillo of El Colegio de México analyzes Mexico’s policies towardits southern neighbors.
Canada:A Northern Refuge for Central Americans
Although most Central American refugees sought protection inthe United States, Canada admitted thousands of Central American refugees inthe 1980s. María Cristina García of Cornell University takes a detailed look atCentral Americans in Canada.
Remittance Trends in Central America
In 2004, Central American countries received US$ 7.8 billionin remittances through official channels. Are remittances hurting or helpingthe region? MPI’s Dovelyn Agunias investigates.
Migrationand Development in El Salvador: Ideals Versus Reality
Salvadorans abroad have helped their families economicallyand, to some extent, decreased poverty levels back home. Yet migration haseconomic and social costs in El Salvador – and has not yet proved to be theanswer to its development problems, according to Katharine Andrade-Eekhoff.
CAFTA:What Could It Mean for Migration?
The Central America Free Trade Agreement may be the mostimportant economic event in the region in 20 years. However, it seems unlikelyto reverse established migration trends, reports Salomon Cohen.
CentralAmericans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era
Not long after the United States passed the 1980 RefugeeAct, thousands of people began fleeing civil war in Guatemala, El Salvador, andNicaragua. Their treatment in the United States, linked to US foreign policy,spurred the Sanctuary Movement and efforts to grant them refugee status, asSusan Gzesh of the University of Chicago explains.
National Policies and the Rise ofTransnational Gangs
Thegrowth of violent gangs such as MS-13, which operates in the United States andCentral America, has caught the attention of the US media and law enforcement.However, the role of migration policies in this growth deserves closerattention, finds MPI’s Mary Helen Johnson.
Policy Beat:
SenateDebates Temporary Worker Program and Path to Legal Status for the Unauthorized
MPI’s Julia Gelatt reports on the Judiciary Committee’s proposals forimmigration reform, which set the stage for Senate debate on the topic, plusother immigration news.
Archives:
Review past issues and search for articles by subject andauthors by name.
SpecialIssues:
Don’t forget to visit our previous Special Issues on:
The Top 10Migration Issues of 2005
The Unauthorized
Human Rights andMigration
Africa andMigration
US-MexicoMigration
Women andMigration
Integration andImmigrants
Migration andDevelopment
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