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Global Health Econ Sustain                                           Latin American Liberal migration policies



              In the attempt to elucidate the relatively independent   document states: “As multi-polarity deepens, such as aid,
            nature of the “liberal tide” from the left-right cleavage,   trade, and capital flows, migration is no longer a North-
            this paper delves into an analysis of migratory patterns. It   South concern and debate only. Countries of the South are
            explores  historical  positive  representations  of  migration,   the origin for about 70% of all international migrants. Of
            forms of inter-regional migration, and the position   these  roughly  half  reside  in  other  developing  countries.
            occupied by the region’s countries in the global landscape   South-South migration flows are equivalent to North-South
            over the past 50 years. These roles encompass acting as both   migration (close to 73 million each) and size of North-North
            destinations and origins for regional and intercontinental   is also gaining momentum.” 7
            migration. Despite its frequent oversight, it is important to   In the most current data available, as of mid-2020,
            note that migratory processes are reversible. Countries once   with an update in January 2021, the global count
            favored as immigration destinations can transition into   of international migrants stands at 280.6 million
            emigration sources, and nations with a historical emigrant   individuals. Within this context, Europe and Asia each
            tradition can evolve into net recipient nations. Late in the   hosted around 87 million and 86 million international
            twentieth century, Latin America shifted from being a   migrants,  respectively  —  comprising  61%  of  the  global
            focal point of attraction for immigrants from Europe, Asia,   international migrant population. Following these two
            and the Middle East to becoming a significant origin of   regions, North America accommodates almost 59 million
            migrants in both interregional migration and transoceanic   international migrants, constituting 21% of the global
            migration (Europe and Japan). We argue that this dual   migrant population. Africa houses around 25 million,
            experience plays a role in the adoption of human rights-  which accounts for 9% of the global migrant population.
            based liberal migratory policies.                  Latin America and the Caribbean, combined, account
            2. Global migration and the “liberal               for nearly 15 million migrants, with South America
            paradox”                                           hosting  10.9  million,  Central  America  2.3  million,  and
                                                               the Caribbean 1.6 million, collectively representing 5% of
            During the early 1990s, two eminent scholars, Steven   the global migrant population. Lastly, Oceania is home to
            Castles and Marx Miller, authored a book titled “The Age   around 9.4 million migrants, contributing 3% to the global
            of Migration” (Castles & Miller, 1993). In this seminal   migrant population. 8
            work, they delineated the concepts of “globalization” —
            as they defined it, refers to the tendency to affect an   Despite the importance of South-South migration,
            increasing number of countries all over the world —   dominant media and political narratives concerning
            and “acceleration” — pertains to the increased number   migration often disregard this aspect, instead focusing
            of individuals  engaged in migration  — as  two specific   on migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, who attempt
            trends  characterizing  contemporary  international  to reach Europe and the USA irregularly. Joseph Teye,
            migration in respect to past experiences. Two other   the director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the
            trends characterize the “age of migration.” The first is   University of Ghana and co-director of MIDEQ (Migration
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            “differentiation,” which corresponds to the increment in   for Development and Equality),  underscores this oversight
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            the types of migration that affect each nation. The second   in  an  interview  with  the  New  Humanitarian :  “Usually,
            is “feminization,” reflecting the increased proportion of   the narrative suggests an exodus from the Global South to
            women  participating  in  migratory  movements  (Castles   the Global North. If you look at most of the countries in the
            & Miller, 1993).  As globalization refers to a trend and   Global South, most migrants move inter-regionally. They
                         6
            process, namely, the growth of transplanetary connections   do not move to the Global North. (…) More people migrate
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            between people, migration is one of the most visible and   within the Global South (around 37%  of all migrants) than
            significant aspects.
                                                               7        https://www.un.org/en/desa/high-level-expert-policy-
              Encompassing virtually every country in the world,      dialogue-migration-post-2015-development-agenda
            migration has become increasingly “multidirectional”   8      https://www.migrationdataportal.org/international-
            andcomplex (Hollifield, 1998). As a 2013 United Nations   data?i=stock_abs_&t=2020&m=1
                                                               9        A hub of around 90 researchers. They study movement
            6        See also, Alvarez, C. (1997), Reviewed Work:  The Age   along six migration corridors between 12 countries in
                   of Migration: International Population Movements   the Global South—one of the few research projects in
                   in the Modern World  by Stephen Castles and        the world dedicated to studying South-South migration.
                   Mark J. Miller. Political Psychology. Vol. 18, No. 1   10      https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/interview/2021/7/8/
                   (Mar., 1997), pp. 205-208 (4 pages).  Published By:   why-south-south-migration-has-long-been-overlooked
                   International Society of Political Psychology. https://  11      https://gmdac.iom.int/gmdac-migfacts-international-
                   www.jstor.org/stable/3791997                       migration


            Volume 1 Issue 1 (2023)                         4                        https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.0861
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