Irregular migration and asylum seekers in the Caribbean

The Latin American Anthropology Review, 2008

In Search of a Better Life: Perspectives on Migration from the Caribbean. Ransford W. Palmer (editor). Foreword by Gordon K. Lewis. New York: Praeger, 1990. xxii + 185 pp., tables, index. $42.95 (cloth). ISBN 0–275–93409–8.

2012

Caribbean migration includes a wide variety of movements which can beclassified on the basis of the stated purpose for the movement, whetherwork, education, or as an accompanying person; or length of stay at thedestination, whether permanent or temporary.

2021

The Canary Islands are witnessing a new cycle of intense migratory influx by sea, coinciding in time with the progression of the current coronavirus pandemic. Irregular arrivals have increased, and, after a decade of low arrivals through this Atlantic route, the archipelago’s reception system was initially insufficient and highly debilitated. This system now takes on renewed prominence as the always perilous crossings bring with them a more diverse range of vulnerable migrants. The institutional response has had to deal with greater complexity, conditioning the constant urgency to adopt incomplete and inappropriate solutions in certain cases, according to many of the evaluations carried out. The migratory process continues its course and more and more voices are demanding that a suitable reception strategy be defined, one based on a model that also integrates the principles of interculturality and is built with input from all the stakeholders involved

Journal of Latin American Geography, 2007

IMISCOE research series, 2023

International migration is a critical issue in contemporary societies. A well-known textbook calls it "a major theme for public debate" (De Haas et al., 2020: xii). Migration is at the centre of the 'transnationalized social question' located at the interstices between the Global South and the Global North, where people seek a better life or flee unsustainable living conditions by migrating abroad (Faist, 2019). International population mobility has moved to the top of political agendas, becoming a 'hot topic' for governments and political parties (Spencer & Triandafyllidou, 2020). It has become a matter of controversy in mass media, and in ordinary people's conversations as well. In most cases, it is depicted as a threat to the social stability of receiving societies. As Anderson efficaciously puts it, "'Migration' signifies problematic mobility" (Anderson, 2017: 1532). This perceived threat of migrants provokes increased efforts to halt, restrict, and prevent migration, often by limiting legal migration channels and increasing border controls. The, perhaps unintended, consequence of this is not that migration stops, but instead that a part of migration becomes irregular. Whilst irregular migration is problematised and criminalised especially in the Global North, in sending societies, on the contrary, venturing abroad is often viewed as a dream or a hope, regardless of the legal framework in which this mobility and subsequent settlement occur (Alpes, 2013). It gives the impression that migrants take the time spent in an irregular condition while waiting for a residence permit for granted. Migration, especially unwanted international migration, is a vital concern for contemporary societies worldwide, be they sending, receiving or transit countries. This form of migration will be the main focus of this Reader. Throughout it, we hope to provide ample insight into the contentious theme of irregular migration by elaborating on its origins, the policies devised to deal with it, possible responses to it, the actors involved, and the agency of irregular migrants themselves. This introduction highlights the issue of irregular migration, discusses terminology, provides some estimates of the population involved, and presents the book's structure.

International Journal of Global Sustainability, 2019

The problem regarding migrants has occurred a long time ago in the Dominican Republic where Haitian migrants entered as slaves to the sugar industry in 1990 without certain conditions. The problem is further complicated when the flow of migration from Haiti to Dominica issues a policy to tackle the migration problem with the aim of reducing the high flow of migrants from Haiti. This paper examines the push and pulling factors of the Haitian population to migrate to the Republic of Dominica through the concept of the International Migration and Pulling Factors. Through the National Regularization Plan policy of the government of the Republic of Dominica seeks to reduce the flow of migration from Haiti, however this policy has been less effective since it was implemented in 2015.

Please note that the views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department. I r r e g u l a r M i g r a t i o n R e s e a r c h P r o g r a m O c c a s i o n a l P a p e r S e r i e s This paper is one of a series of occasional papers produced as part of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's Irregular Migration Research Program (Research Program).

Migration Policy Practice, 2017

Studies and Perspectives series-ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, 2024

This study assesses international migration trends in 28 Caribbean countries from 2000 to 2020 and discusses the implications of these trends for different aspects of sustainable development in the subregion. It is well-documented that the Caribbean is a subregion that has exhibited net emigration, but this trend has intensified over the last two decades, with Global North regions representing the main destination of Caribbean emigrants. Although immigration to the Caribbean increased from 2000 to 2020, this increase was less substantial than that recorded for emigration from the subregion. By 2020, intra-Caribbean migration stocks accounted for just over half of all immigration stocks in the subregion, showing growing intra-Caribbean mobility of persons. International migration trends in the Caribbean, particularly emigration from the subregion, have implications for the subregion’s sustainable development, and these are reflected in indicators such as international financial flows, demographic dynamics, and labour productivity. In general, the high net emigrant stock of the Caribbean directly correlates with remittance inflows to the subregion. Furthermore, many countries of the subregion with ageing populations stand to gain from increased immigration as it rejuvenates their labour forces. However, with highly skilled labour constituting a large and growing proportion of the net emigrant stocks, the resulting brain drain in the Caribbean could have a more profound impact on the sustainable development of the subregion. Available data showed that most countries with net emigration during the period covered by this study experienced negative or stagnant labour productivity levels. Considering the importance of quality data in assessing international migration trends, it is pertinent to collect, analyse, and disseminate international migration data in the Caribbean following international standards and best practices to facilitate optimal use of the subregion’s international migration statistics. This study has revealed some advances and gaps among Caribbean countries in producing international migration data. Some Caribbean countries have included questions on international migration in their national censuses, household surveys, and labour force surveys. Nevertheless, gaps remain in collecting international migration indicators, especially those related to labour and international university student mobility. Leveraging administrative data, inter-agency coordination, and international cooperation can help countries improve the collection of international migration data, thereby enhancing national statistical capacity in the Caribbean.

CRITICAL INSIGHTS ON IRREGULAR MIGRATION FACILITATION: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, 2019

In this short collection of essays, a group of scholars and practitioners sheds light on the experiences of the men, women and children who around the world work in the facilitation of migrant’s journeys –a practice that has been legally and often narrowly termed migrant smuggling. Relying on ethnographic work, archival research, and conceptual analyses, authors challenge the monolithic perceptions of smuggling as merely exploitative, inherently criminal, violent and male, by documenting the experiences of the people whose actions facilitate migration into Europe and the United States, across Africa, the Americas and the Pacific, and shedding light on everyday practices and interactions of mobility and their criminalization by the state. Read the full-text of this RSCAS Book edited by Gabriella Sanchez and Luigi Achilli within the framework of the Migrant Smuggling Observatory.

MIGRATION POLICY PRACTICE Published jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Eurasylum Ltd. A Bimonthly Journal for and by Policymakers Worldwide , 2021

International Migration Review, 2009

Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEM) countries have recently turned into receivers of migrants, but they have neither the institutions nor the policies that would allow them to integrate migrants. Therefore, most migrants in SEM countries found themselves in irregular situation. Using a variety of statistical sources, official and non-official, the article establishes that out of 5.6 million immigrants living in SEM countries in the mid-2000s, a minimum of 3.6 would be in irregular situation. They belong to three categories: approximately 2 million migrant workers attracted by SEM labour markets where they are employed in the informal sector with no work permit, 1.5 million de facto refugees who cannot obtain the status of refugee and are waiting for resettlement in a third country or return to their homes, and less than 200,000 transit migrants initially bound for Europe, which they are unable to reach for lack of visa. While their reasons to be stranded in the SEM differ, thes...

Geoforum, 1988

The increased proportion of skilled workers in the total number of Caribbean international migrants since the mid·1960s has been the cause of much concern by governments of Caribbean countries. It has been interpreted as a loss in human resources with detrimental implications for development. This paper briefly outlines the occupational profile of Caribbean migrants and raises questions concerning the extent to which migrant outflow represents absolute loss. The argument is advanced that the traditional conceptualization of migration as displacement is largely responsible for the assumptions made. It oversimplifies the process to present a set of sources and destinations, ignoring the interactions accompanied by significant counterflows of people , ideas, influence, capital and goods. It is argued that circulation is not confined to commuter-type mobility but in the Caribbean it is also a feature of long-stay migration and the establishment of what are effectively transnational households. Though the characteristics and spatial behaviour of the household vary with the specific migration type , the transnational household provides a more appropriate model for analysing Caribbean migration and its implications than does the model based on migration as displacement.

JURNAL UNDANG-UNDANG DAN MASYARAKAT, 2019

Protection of asylum seekers migrating by sea are reflected in international law on refugees, international maritime law, international human rights and international criminal law. Asylum seekers shared their mode of travel via sea with many types of migrant, and most of the time they are being referred to as “mixed migration” or “irregular maritime migration” or “boat people”. They have the rights to family life and basic needs and assistance for shelter, food, legal, medical and psychosocial assistance from the UNHCR and the relevant organizations. The right also includes the right to seek and to enjoy protection from persecution(Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) in other countries of asylum. The asylum seeker may be recognized as a refugee when the person’s circumstances fall into the definition of “refugee” according to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Convention) or other refugee laws. The issues of asylum seekers migrating by...

Irregular migration was spotlighted at the Puerto Vallarta Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) as a critical theme for development: it reduces the potential of migration to contribute to development but can also result from the lack of development-friendly policies of country of origin and destination. The main cause of irregular migration is less a disregard of regulations by migrants than a continuing inequality within and between countries, and the failure of states to create adequate migration regimes to meet economic demand. Mismatches between entry rules and labor demand, bureaucratic complexities, and delays contrast sharply with rapid transport and communication technologies that facilitate cross-border labor flows and take little account of the changing social dynamics of migration. This chapter examines regional patterns of irregular migration and policy responses and offers some brief case studies on Mexico, Italy, Turkey, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia. Reflecting the discussions in the GFMD, the paper shows how most efforts at combating irregular migration have been difficult to implement and produced mixed results. Comprehensive, inclusive, and cooperative approaches were needed, and the GFMD had succeeded in bringing more countries of destination to the table on this issue.