Trends in Migration, Remittances, Markets and Development to Latin America and the Caribbean
Understanding the future of migration and how it affects the region can offer cues as to the direction countries will take.
Understanding the future of migration and how it affects the region can offer cues as to the direction countries will take.
On January 30, the Inter-American Dialogue and International Monetary Fund (IMF) hosted an event to discuss the findings of a recently published book, Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean (November 2017). This event was moderated by Manuel Orozco with panelists Joyce Wong, Sebastian Acevedo and Daniel P. Erikson. The panel discussed the roles that structural transformation, natural disasters, and fiscal policy have on unleashing future growth in the region.
En alianza con Banpro y la Alianza para las Migraciones en Centroamérica y México, nuestro programa de inclusión financiera generó US$960,000 en ahorros.
Historical legacies of civil war and poorly performing economies within the context of globalization have shaped Central American Migration.
Addressing the unique financial needs of migrants will optimize the potential of their contributions and those of future generations.
Migration from Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States has grown steadily over the past forty years. In addition to leaving their countries amidst political and economic hardship, the vast majority of these migrants face additional challenges to their legal status. One way to look for solutions is to consider a comprehensive approach to migration through recruitment, retention, return, relief and reform.
Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed US$70 billion in 2016, representing a critical source of income for the region. Two new Dialogue studies shed light on remittances, emerging technologies in methods of transfers, and opportunities for financial inclusion. These studies were presented and discussed on May 17th at an event moderated by Peter Hakim, President Emeritus of the Dialogue, and featuring speakers Manuel Orozco, the Director of the Dialogue’s Migration, Remittances, and Development Program, and Daniel Ayala, the Executive Vice President and Head of Global Remittances Services for Wells Fargo.
On March 16th the Dialogue welcomed the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís. With persistent problems of crime and violence, ongoing migration challenges, lackluster regional economic growth, continuing concerns about corruption in many countries, and uncertainties about the new US administration’s policies, Central America faces a complicated and unsettled situation. President Solís discussed these issues and several others during this open discussion at The Dialogue.
El pasado 16 de junio, el experto en migraciones, remesas y desarrollo Manuel Orozco fue entrevistado por la periodista Gabriela Frías en conmemoración por el Día Internacional de las Remesas Familiares. Orozco explicó el impacto que la actual crisis del Covid-19 está teniendo en los trabajos de los migrantes, así como para las remesas y la importancia de remesas para familias.
El 15 de abril del 2021 se llevó a cabo “Diálogo de alto nivel: el rol clave de la transparencia de datos en las remesas” con el objetivo de ampliar las discusiones sobre la transparencia en los datos sobre remesas que ingresan a Guatemala y conocer la perspectiva de actores claves sobre la posibilidad de crear un observatorio nacional sobre remesas.
El 28 de enero del 2021, El Diálogo Interamericano, en colaboración con la Red Nacional de Grupos Gestores de Guatemala-San Marcos, organizó un conversatorio privado, “La migración como elemento del desarrollo integral: Alianzas y prácticas para su inclusión estratégica” con el apoyo de Cities Alliance. El conversatorio se concentró en el caso guatemalteco con el objetivo de socializar y discutir perspectivas planteadas por actores que trabajan con los lugares de origen, destino y retorno.
On February 17, 2021, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the online event “Biden’s Central America Plan – Perspectives from the Region” in partnership with Creative Associates International. Taking into account the Biden administration’s plan for Central America, speakers addressed the region’s doubts, needs and aspirations with respect to US partnerships toward short-term and long-term development in the region.
On October 29, 2020, the second virtual session of the Housing Laboratory on Migration and Cities in Guatemala (LAV for its initials in Spanish) took place. The Housing Laboratory’s objective was to explore the role of urban and land use planning in the context of international migration and return migration. It further considered how these processes can be integrated into Guatemala’s National Housing Council’s (CONAVI) ongoing efforts to update Guatemala’s National Policy on Housing and Human Settlements in order to guarantee access to decent housing and boost local economic development.
On February 2, the Embassy of Argentina in the United States and the World Resources Institute hosted an event at which Lisa Viscidi spoke about how the Biden administration could engage with Argentina, and with Latin America and the Caribbean more broadly, on areas such as clean energy, climate change adaptation, and conservation.
On August 27, 2020, the first virtual session of a Housing Laboratory on Migration and Cities in Guatemala (LAV by its Spanish initials) was held. As Guatemala’s National Housing Council (CONAVI) works to update Guatemala’s National Policy on Housing and Human Settlements with strategies to increase access to decent, sustainable housing, this event contributed to discussions regarding the potential that remittances offer for financing the provision of decent and broader urban development.