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Global Health Econ Sustain Latin American Liberal migration policies

has evolved from a leading immigrant destination in the 5. Conclusions
early 20 century to a country with a dualistic migration
th
environment: it attracts predominantly regional immigrants As a total social fact, migration affects every sphere of
while experiencing emigration flows of mainly young, highly social life according to the particularities of the context.
skilled natives. Immigration flows are both circular and Migration policies are embedded in the history of the
permanent and, for the most part, fill the low-skilled, low- countries/nations and their geo-political position in the
wage labor demand in both rural and urban settings.” 40 global arena.
In the present day, migratory policies implemented in
Argentina experienced its first significant emigration the Southern regions of the world may represent a challenge
outflow of native-born citizens, particularly those highly to the restrictive policies of the “North.” An example of this
skilled, during the late 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with the is the “liberal tide” in Latin America, which has brought
years of the military dictatorship (1976 – 1983). Another about human rights policies since the late 1990s.
surge in emigration occurred toward the late 1990s and
early 2000s. An estimat ed 1.05 million Argentines were After analyzing the “liberal tide” in Latin America and
residing abroad as of March 2005—double the figure from exploring the left-right governments’ role in it, it becomes
1985. Nestor Kirchner’s stance on European migratory evident that the left-right cleavage is not the only lens
policies and their impact on Argentinian emigrants to that can explain the decision made by Latin American
Spain has been discussed earlier. Christina Kirchner also governments and their perdurance over the years.
adopted a progressively contentious stance toward the The hypothesis that the “liberal tide” has to be analyzed
Western world, rejecting “the re-emergence of xenophobic in relationship to the historical Latin American migratory
sentiments in ‘so-called developed countries’ in the context patterns would need much in-depth research. However,
of the financial crisis and described Argentina as part of a some arguments may already be advanced. These include the
worldwide, morally superior, avant-garde in immigration positive social representation of European immigration in
policymaking” (Freier De Ferrari, Luisa Feline, 2016). the 19 and 20 centuries, the long tradition of intraregional
th
th
In the mid to late 1980s, Brazilians began a substantial migrations, and, significantly, the shift from immigration to
exodus from their homeland. They emigrated to various emigration countries (including refugees emigration) that
destinations, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, has concerned Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Australia, Portugal, Italy, England, and other European These arguments represent an important background for the
countries. By 2012, the count of Brazilians living abroad choice of “liberal” policies and the absence of anti-immigrant
had reached 4.4 million. Among them, approximately 1.9 discourses, even within far-right political movements.
million resided in the USA, while the remaining majority The position of Latin America in the global world —
were mainly distributed across Europe, with Portugal as both a source and recipient of migrants — lends itself
hosting around 275,000 (with a smaller number in Japan). to the adoption of liberal immigration policies. As Latin
Within the context of this emigration phenomenon, American countries must advocate for their own emigrants
Brazil became more vocal in safeguarding the rights of its abroad, this position facilitates their embrace of policies that
expatriates (Braga Martes & Gonçalves, 2008). President are accommodating toward immigrants. Denouncing the
Lula da Silva stressed Brazil’s relatively liberal approach to restrictive migratory policies of the USA and the European
immigration and the country’s commitment to upholding Union and giving the example of the “liberal tide,” Latin
the human rights of migrants. Da Silva also presented Brazil American leaders counter the stubborn belief of North
as a country that was proud of its immigration history and Atlantic (“Western”) powers, always ready to give lessons to
emphasized the need to be “generous with human beings other societies that are incapable of being fully “democratic.”
from any part of the world who would like to live [in Brazil]
and. build a future” (Freier De Ferrari, Luisa Feline, 2016). In this context, the “liberal tide” in migration policies is
part of a more complex historical “triangular” relationship
Other countries that experienced significant emigration involving Latin America, the USA, and Europe. While
include Ecuador, which saw notable outflows following the emphasizing the importance of the “decolonization”
1999 financial crisis, and Colombia due to factors such as approach and the inclusion of indigenous and Afro-
guerrilla conflicts, involvement in the narco-business, and descendant knowledge, which have been culpably
political instability. As of the 2005 Census, more than 3.3 neglected by official history, it is also important to analyze
million Colombians reside abroad. the hierarchies established in the 19 century between
th
the “Anglo-Saxon” world and Hispano-American world.
40 https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/argentina- These hierarchies produce a different history with respect
new-era-migration-and-migration-policy to Southern European migrations to the USA and Latin

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2023) 15 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.0861