Central America & the Caribbean
Recent Activity
Guatemala's long civil war, which spurred large flows of refugees, has given way to high levels of economic migration to the United States and an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala’s geography has made it a prime transit country for migrants headed north, as James Smith of Inforpress Centroamericana reports.
In 2004, Central American countries received US$ 7.8 billion in remittances through official channels. Are remittances hurting or helping the region? MPI’s Dovelyn Agunias investigates.
The growth of violent gangs such as MS-13, which operates in the United States and Central America, has caught the attention of the U.S. media and law enforcement. However, the role of migration policies in this growth deserves closer attention, finds MPI's Mary Helen Johnson.
This study provides an overview of the size and growth of the Dominican population in the United States and discusses some of the unique characteristics of this community. The report also highlights the geographic distribution of Dominicans within the United States.
Manuel Orozco of Inter-American Dialogue examines the increasing relevance of economic ties between diasporas and home country economies in Latin America.
B. Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown University sketches the big picture of skilled migration, touching on both negative impacts and positive feedback for developing states.
Although the relationship between migration and development has been widely discussed and debated for more than 30 years, a number of unanswered questions and unsettled debates remain. On April 11 and 12, 2003, the Migration Policy Institute sought to advance the dialogue. This report summarizes the key talking points of the high level meeting and offers some key summary remarks.
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.
Addressing the Next Displacement Crisis in the Making in the Americas
The next major displacement of people in the Americas is in the making, and it is going unnoticed. The response to the steady emigration from Haiti seen since a devastating 2010 earthquake has been largely haphazard and may not stand the test of new spikes as the country unravels further. This commentary suggests a way forward, based on a model used for the Venezuelan displacement crisis.