MPI's Migration Information Source Newsletter

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June 1, 2022

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Country Profile
Chile's Welcoming Approach to Immigrants Cools as Numbers Rise
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/chile-immigrants-rising-numbers
In the years since its return to democracy, Chile has emerged as a major immigration destination within South America. Yet recent large-scale migrant arrivals from Haiti and Venezuela have shaken the country's politics and at times overwhelmed a decades-old immigration framework that critics contended was woefully out of date. New reforms could tighten immigration, but many questions remain. This country profile analyzes migration to Chile particularly since 1990.

U.S. Policy Beat
Rise in Maritime Migration to the United States Is a Reminder of Chapters Past
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/maritime-migration-united-states-rise
A recent uptick in the number of unauthorized migrants attempting to reach the United States by sea has been largely overshadowed by tensions on the southwest border but serves as an echo of eras past. This article explains why migrant interdictions have risen to recent highs, especially among Cubans and Haitians.


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EDITOR'S NOTE

Reports that the international protection system is gravely wounded may have been slightly premature, at least as regards one vulnerable population.

In multiple places around the world, countries once reluctant to take on refugees have embraced new arrivals from Ukraine. The most visible is Ukraine's neighbor Poland, which previously rejected refugees particularly from the Middle East and North Africa, but now hosts the lion's share of the 6.7 million displaced Ukrainians. The change in tune from Warsaw and other European capitals has received extensive media coverage and analysis, and can be attributed in part to the new arrivals' similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as a post-Cold War geopolitical nose-thumbing towards Russia.

But look elsewhere, and there are similar notes. Israel, for instance, has been the destination for about 28,000 Ukrainians, only about one-third of whom are Jewish, in what officials say could be the largest immigration inflow since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The situation has roiled Israeli politics, with prominent figures calling both to support persecuted people and maintain the integrity of the Jewish state. Still, the government has said it is preparing to receive up to 50,000 Ukrainians by the end of July.

Or turn to Japan, which has long been one of the most reticent wealthy countries to accept refugees, often taking in only a few dozen each year. But as of late May, 1,000 Ukrainians had gone to Japan -- at one point accompanied by the Japanese foreign minister -- where they have received a one-year legal residence permit. In relative terms this number is small and, as with Europe, the policy is tied up in broader diplomatic maneuvering. But the government recently said it was considering adopting a more inclusive humanitarian immigration system, which could have long-lasting implications.

Meanwhile Brazil, home to a surprisingly large Ukrainian diaspora, has created a special humanitarian visa for people fleeing the war and welcomed about 900 in just the first few weeks of the conflict, despite a general reluctance to resettle refugees from outside the region (Brazil hosts a sizable number of asylum seekers and displaced Venezuelans).

Notably, many of the protections provided to Ukrainians are temporary and less robust than those provided under the formal refugee system. And these cases are exceptions: Generally, refugees and other distressed migrants from other troubled countries face hurdles finding protection, and only a tiny fraction of the world's 26.6 million refugees can hope to be resettled. Even the current welcome for Ukrainians may well fade in coming months.

But instances such as these show that the narrative is a complicated one; even as the global refugee and asylum regime writ large is facing headwinds, there are at least some reasons for optimism.

Best regards,

Julian Hattem

Editor, Migration Information Source

[email protected]

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NEW FROM MPI

Humanitarian Pathways for Central Americans: Assessing Opportunities for the Future
www.migrationpolicy.org/research/humanitarian-pathways-central-americans
By Susan Fratzke and Andrea Tanco

Vías humanitarias para personas centroamericanas: Evaluando oportunidades para el futuro
www.migrationpolicy.org/research/vias-humanitarias-personas-centroamericanas
By Susan Fratzke and Andrea Tanco

Leveraging Predeparture Counseling to Support Returning Migrants' Sustainable Reintegration
www.migrationpolicy.org/research/predeparture-counseling-returning-migrants
By Lucía Salgado

Managing Mobility in the Pandemic Era Requires World to Buy In on Shared Principles
www.migrationpolicy.org/news/managing-mobility-pandemic-shared-principles
By Meghan Benton and Lawrence Huang

English Learner Testing during the Pandemic: An Early Readout and Look Ahead
www.migrationpolicy.org/research/english-learner-testing-pandemic
By Melissa Lazarin


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HAVE YOU READ?

Cuban Migration: A Postrevolution Exodus Ebbs and Flows
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/cuban-migration-postrevolution-exodus-ebbs-and-flows

Costa Rica Has Welcoming Policies for Migrants, but Nicaraguans Face Subtle Barriers
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/costa-rica-nicaragua-migrants-subtle-barriers

Newcomers in the North: Labor Market Integration of Refugees in Northern Europe
www.migrationpolicy.org/article/newcomers-north-labor-market-integration-refugees-northern-europe


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MEDIA CORNER

Economists Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan evaluate the socioeconomic history of immigrants in the United States in "Streets of Gold: America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success."
www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/ran-abramitzky/streets-of-gold/9781541797826/

"The Construction of Canadian Identity from Abroad," edited by Christopher Kirkey and Richard Nimijean, looks at perceptions of the Great White North from Canadian emigrants.
[link removed]

Ron Nerio and Jean Halley examine a post-apartheid neighborhood in Johannesburg in "The Roads to Hillbrow: Making Life in South Africa's Community of Migrants."
www.fordhampress.com/9780823299409/the-roads-to-hillbrow/

In "City of Refugees: The Story of Three Newcomers Who Breathed Life into a Dying American Town," journalist Susan Hartman follow three refugees in the U.S. Rust Belt city of Utica, New York.
www.beacon.org/City-of-Refugees-P1783.aspx

Former UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock offers a memoir and agenda for saving lives and reducing suffering in "Relief Chief: A Manifesto for Saving Lives in Dire Times."
[link removed]


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