MPI's Migration Information Source Newsletter

********************************************

September 15, 2021

********************************************

Feature
Gang Membership in Central America: More Complex than Meets the Eye
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/complexities-gang-membership-central-america
Gang violence is a major driver of migration, particularly from Central America to the United States. But governments on both sides often rely on outdated and static understandings of gangs and their membership. This article explains the history of groups such as MS-13 and Barrio 18 and why they are relevant for immigration policy.

Feature
Will the Taliban's Takeover Lead to a New Refugee Crisis from Afghanistan?
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/taliban-takeover-new-refugee-crisis-afghanistan
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has prompted fears of a rollback of human rights and a new refugee crisis. This article examines the prospects for possible future Afghan displacement in the region and beyond by looking at the last four decades of forced migration from Afghanistan and new factors that could determine what happens now that the U.S. military and its allies have pulled out.

Spotlight
Inmigrantes de la República Dominicana a los Estados Unidos
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/inmigrantes-de-la-republica-dominicana-a-los-estados-unidos
Los inmigrantes de la República Dominicana son el cuarto grupo de inmigrantes hispanos más grande de los Estados Unidos y suman casi 1.2 millones de personas. Esta población se ha multiplicado casi por diez desde 1960, pero sigue concentrada principalmente en unas pocas áreas metropolitanas. Este artículo proporciona una descripción general de los inmigrantes dominicanos en los Estados Unidos.
This article is available in English here: www.migrationpolicy.org/article/dominican-immigrants-united-states-2019


********************************************

EDITOR'S NOTE

A political crackdown in Nicaragua is spurring emigration that seems likely to rise in coming weeks.

A wave of arrests and restrictions ahead of the country's November 7 presidential election has ensnared dozens of opposition figures, including multiple presidential candidates, as well as high-profile business leaders, journalists, and students.

The crackdown has grown since June, in an escalation of heavy-handed tactics that President Daniel Ortega has relied on since 2018, when his government used brutal force and repression in response to protests that began over reforms to the pension system. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured in the country's bloodiest episode since civil war ended in 1990. The situation has helped force more than 110,000 people to take flight from the country since 2018.

Historically, most of these emigrants have gone south to Costa Rica, where at least 80,000 Nicaraguans have arrived since 2018. Numbers have continued to increase in the run-up to the November elections; nearly 23,000 asylum requests have been filed in Costa Rica by Nicaraguans since January, and advocates predict more than 40,000 new claims will be filed by the end of the year.

But many have also gone north, and U.S. authorities in recent weeks have apprehended far more Nicaraguan migrants than in previous years. Nicaraguans were stopped nearly 13,400 times this July, compared to fewer than 200 times in July 2020. While Nicaraguans have historically accounted for a small share of Central American migrants to the United States, their proportion has grown over the course of 2021.

International watchers have essentially written off the prospects that the upcoming election will be free and fair, virtually ensuring that Ortega secures a fourth consecutive term since returning to power in 2007 (he previously led the country from 1979 to 1990). Yet for political dissidents, even leaving Nicaragua may not guarantee safety. Just last weekend, a founder of an opposition political group was shot in Costa Rica, where he has lived in since 2018.

Meanwhile, conditions for Nicaraguans in Costa Rica have at times been challenging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Costa Rica has generally been applauded for its efforts to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers, many Nicaraguans have borne the brunt of the country's restrictions and have reported going hungry.

The next few weeks are likely to be crucial for Nicaragua's future and for migration in Central America. If the past is any indication, serious challenges lie ahead.

Best regards,

Julian Hattem

Editor, Migration Information Source

[email protected]


********************************************

NEW FROM MPI

Refugee Resettlement and Complementary Pathways: Opportunities for Growth
www.migrationpolicy.org/research/refugee-resettlement-complementary-pathways
By Susan Fratzke, Maria Belen Zanzuchi, Kate Hooper, Hanne Beirens, Lena Kainz, Nathan Benson, Eliza Bateman and Jessica Bolter


********************************************

HAVE YOU READ?

Refugees and Asylees in the United States
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states-2021

In Search of Safety, Growing Numbers of Women Flee Central America
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/search-safety-growing-numbers-women-flee-central-america

Canada's Private Sponsorship Model Represents a Complementary Pathway for Refugee Resettlement
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/canada-private-sponsorship-model-refugee-resettlement


********************************************

MEDIA CORNER

Christian Harkensee, Karen Olness, and Emily Esmaili are the editors of "Child Refugee and Migrant Health: A Manual for Health Professionals," which offers practical advice for practitioners working with refugee children and families.
www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030749057

In "Horizons of Security: The Somali Safety Net in Scandinavia," Marco Zoppi examines the integration of Somali migrants.
[link removed]

"The Succeeders: How Immigrant Youth Are Transforming What It Means to Belong in America," by Andrea Flores, traces the experiences of Latino youth in the United States.
www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520376854/the-succeeders

Lorena Gazzotti studies how foreign aid affects migration containment efforts in "Immigration Nation: Aid, Control, and Border Politics in Morocco."
www.cambridge.org/core/books/immigration-nation/03F962C53C352BBDE5F1AB5C6861C29F

Artistic representations of migrants and migration come under scrutiny in "Figures of the Migrant: The Roles of Literature and the Arts in Representing Migration," edited by Siobhan Brownlie and Rédouane Abouddahab.
www.routledge.com/Figures-of-the-Migrant-The-Roles-of-Literature-and-the-Arts-in-Representing/Brownlie-Abouddahab/p/book/9781032008806


********************************************

***Join Our List***
If a friend has forwarded this email to you and you would like to continue receiving the Migration Information Source newsletter, you can subscribe here:
www.migrationpolicy.org/signup/source

***Sign Up for RSS Feed***
Subscribe to our RSS feed for news of the latest articles www.migrationpolicy.org/feeds/83/rss.xml

***Unsubscribe***
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe here:
[link removed]

_______________________________________________________________

The Migration Information Source
A project of the Migration Policy Institute
1275 K Street NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC xxxxxx USA
tel: (001) 202-266-1940; fax: (001) 202-266-1900
email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2021 Migration Policy Institute. All rights reserved.