Transit Migration in the Americas

ISIM and the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), both within Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service is undertaking research on recent trends in transit migration in the Americas. With support from Georgetown’s Americas Institute, the research will be based on field research in the region as well as analysis of publicly available data. The research is being jointly conducted by Katharine Donato, Elizabeth Ferris, Angelo Rivero Santos with the support of Diana Kapiszewsk (CLAS) and Mireya Loza (History Department). The report will be launched at a public event at Georgetown in fall 2024.

The Issue

Central America and particularly, Mexico, have traditionally served as transit points for Latin Americans seeking the Sueño Americano. The last few years have witnessed an increase of migrants from a more diverse set of countries – Chinese, Haitians, Cubans, Afghans, Russians, Africans – who are now traveling north, often through the treacherous Darien Gap and then through Central America and Mexico toward the US border. This movement of people has challenged governments of transit countries. Panama and Costa Rica (the most migrant-friendly countries in the region in the past) have changed their policies to facilitate the rapid transit of people moving through their countries. Mexico, always under pressure from the US government to curtail migrants in transit, has witnessed not only an explosion of asylum claims (from 9,000 in 2016 to 141,000 in 2023), but also a more diverse set of arrivals. Many migrants initially settled in countries such as Brazil, Chile and Ecuador but when conditions there deteriorated, they embarked on the longer trip north through Central America and Mexico.

The research will consist of two inter-related parts:

Mapping transitory routes:

Who the migrants are, where they come from, where they hope to go, and how their journeys have unfolded. The research will also examine and outline the evolving policies advanced by the governments of transit countries. Why are increasing numbers of Chinese, African and Haitian migrants choosing these transitory routes now? How do they compare with historic patterns of migration (e.g. the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 on Chinese settlement in Mexico? Haitian migration in the 1990s?) How have governments in the region – from Colombia to Mexico – adapted their policies in response to these challenges?

Identifying policy implications:

The research will develop a set of suggested policies for governments and strategies for international collaboration. The transitory movements have significant implications for countries of origin, transit countries and countries of destination (focusing primarily on the US and Canada) as well as for regional and international organizations. What can and should governments do? While migration is an international issue which could be addressed through international cooperation, Latin American and Caribbean regional organizations have been largely absent from these discussions. In addition, international organizations, such as IOM and UNHCR, have become engaged in some new responses to address these transitory patterns, such as running the Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs) announced by the U.S. government in 2023.