Migration and Diaspora Policy Institutions in Latin America

Abstract

Many Latin American countries face the challenge of mass emigration. Some of them have created complex policy institutions to tackle this challenge and to maintain ties with the growing diaspora, while others have done little in this respect. This article analyses Latin American diaspora governance based on the existing institutions in each country. It shows that it is not necessarily the most affected countries that have the most developed policy responses. There is a group of countries with high emigration rate but with low governmental capacities (e.g. Bolivia, Honduras) where no significant policy diaspora institutions and policies were created. Another group of countries shows sufficient government capacities, but the emigration issue is not seen as very relevant there, thus diaspora policy institutions and policies are also lacking – or they were created only for specific groups, such as the highly skilled emigrants (e.g. Brazil, Chile). Finally, a group of countries with medium to high emigration rate and medium governmental capacities created the most innovative and robust diaspora institutions and policies (e.g. Mexico, Ecuador).

Copy editor: Ildikó Kaposi