MPI's Migration Information Source Newsletter

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July 16, 2019

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Policy Beat
Spike in Unaccompanied Child Arrivals at U.S.-Mexico Border Proves Enduring Challenge
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/spike-unaccompanied-child-arrivals-proves-enduring-challenge
Approximately 11,500 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in May, putting this year on track to exceed 2014's surge. As the U.S. government struggles to care for these child migrants, with public outrage mounting over reports of unsafe, filthy conditions in initial Border Patrol custody, the failure of the executive branch and Congress to plan for increased shelter and care demands are increasingly apparent, as this article explores.

Feature
A Growing Destination for Sub-Saharan Africans, Morocco Wrestles with Immigrant Integration
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/growing-destination-sub-saharan-africans-morocco
Long a country of emigration and a springboard for migrants aiming to reach Europe, Morocco has emerged as a destination for many sub-Saharan Africans. As more migrants remain in Morocco, the kingdom has implemented policies to aid with integration. But challenges remain, with most of the estimated 700,000 sub-Saharan Africans living in precarious conditions and irregular status despite some legalization programs.

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EDITOR'S NOTE

The political unrest gripping Hong Kong may soon contribute to rising emigration from the territory. Since June 9, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators (more than 1 million, according to some sources) have taken to the streets to protest an unpopular proposed law that would allow individuals to be extradited to mainland China -- something critics worry would erode the territory's judicial independence. Although Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the bill on June 16 and called it "dead," it has yet to be formally withdrawn, and protests of an increasingly hostile nature continue unabated.

A former British colony, Hong Kong became a semi-autonomous special administrative region of the People's Republic of China in 1997. The territory is governed under the "one country, two systems" principle, which gives it a certain degree of autonomy from China in its political, judicial, and economic systems. Yet, Beijing has increasingly sought to exert more control over Hong Kong, and popular unrest has occasionally boiled over -- most recently in 2014 during the so-called Umbrella Movement, when more than 100,000 demonstrators protested mainland China's attempts to limit the candidates Hong Kongers could vote for in their 2017 elections.

As the current protests have evolved from pushback against an unpopular bill into a broader expression of frustration over China's growing influence in Hong Kong, reports of Hong Kongers making plans to emigrate have risen sharply. According to the Taipei Times, interest in emigration jumped after the extradition bill was announced in February. Other reports indicate that many who were already planning to emigrate have accelerated their timelines for leaving. Aside from Taipei, long-standing popular destinations for Hong Kong emigrants such as Canada and Australia expect to see an influx of new arrivals.

Yet, political unrest is not the only factor driving Hong Kongers to consider emigration. The extremely high cost of living in the city and its high-pressure education system, as well as cramped living conditions due to high population density, are enduring concerns. According to a survey from the Chinese University of Hong Kong released in early 2019, one-third of respondents stated they would emigrate "if they had the chance;" the desire to leave was particularly high among young people ages 18-30 (51 percent) and the college educated (48 percent). In the same survey, respondents intending to leave cited "too much political dispute / social cleavage" and "overcrowded living conditions" as top reasons; more living space, cleaner air, and more liberty/better conditions for human rights were key draws of life abroad.

Leaving Hong Kong during moments of political upheaval has long been an attractive option for those of means; thousands emigrated during the territory's 1997 handover to China and in the wake of the 2014 protests. Yet not all of those who left during previous periods of political turmoil have stayed away, with some returning as tensions eased. This latest wave of protests and the accompanying uncertainty over the future of Hong Kong's relationship with the mainland seem likely to again drive rising emigration, at least for awhile.

Best regards,

Alexandra Vranas-Carita

Editor, Migration Information Source

[email protected]

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SAVE THE DATE

16th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
www.migrationpolicy.org/events/16thannual-immigration-law-policy-conference
Event in Washington, Monday, October 7, 2019


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HAVE YOU READ

As Colombia Emerges from Decades of War, Migration Challenges Mount
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/colombia-emerges-decades-war-migration-challenges-mount

Intensifying Focus on Migrant Returns Takes a More Global Stage
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/top-10-2018-issue-6-focus-on-migrant-returns

The Emerging Crisis: Is Famine Returning as a Major Driver of Migration?
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/emerging-crisis-famine-returning-major-driver-migration

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