Migrants wait to be processed by border patrol outside of Lukeville, Arizona, on Dec. 5, 2023.The report by the International Organization for Migration and the Migration Policy Institute highlights that Latin America has become a region of both immigration and emigration as more migrants come to South American countries, cross longer distances, and often head northward to the US-Mexico border.
This is highlighted in Arizona, where the number of migrants coming from South America and beyond has increased from about 7,000 people in 2020 to nearly 275,000 people last year.
Ugochi Daniels is a Deputy Director with the International Organization for Migration.
“The report therefore highlights that irregular mobility occurs because regular pathways do not exist,” she said. “And this absence of regular mobility options can place migrants in precarious, dangerous situations. And we see this, very unfortunately, very tragically, in the headlines every single day.”
Daniels says the study also shows that migration is a fundamental part of growth and development in all parts of the world.
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