The foundation of international migration policies in Latin America
Marmora, L.
Estudios Migratorios Latinoamericanos 3(10): 375-396
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0326-7458 PMID: 12282245 Document Number: 365099
A government's international migration policies are intended to influence the size, composition, direction, destination, or integration of international migratory flows. The justification for migratory policies has been based on a series of themes that have had varied weights in different stages of Latin American history. Migrations as population settlement, the desired or undesired characteristics of migrants, the economic impact of migration, the role of migration in relations between countries, and the ethical dimensions of migratory movement have been the major policy issues. The 1st migration policies in Latin America saw international migration as a means of settling the colonies. After independence, migratory policies oriented toward massive settlement became common. Although the stated goals were to settle entire territories with immigrants, the usual result was to absorb immigrants in certain economic sectors with high demand for labor. In the colonial period both Spain and Portugal attempted to restrict immigration to the Catholic segment of their own populations. After independence, the criteria were liberalized somewhat but still reflected prejudices about the racial superiority of certain types of European immigration. The selection principals which appeared most clearly during the 19th century were overwhelmed to the extent that immigration was tranformed into provision of labor to meet unsatisfied needs for workers. Indiscriminate admissions and recourse to nontraditional elements such as Chinese and Japanese was strongest in countries needing labor for tropical agriculture or extractive industries. The economic argument that migration contributed to development was widespread economic argument that migration contributed to development was widespread in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but new rules were made to restrict immigration to protect local labor markets during the worldwide depression of the 1930s. In recent decades, migration policies have been seen as an element of international relations and regional integration. The theme of human rights of immigrants including free circulation and settlement and equality of treatment for foreigners has assumed greater importance with the democratization of Latin American countries and as a result of pressure from the international community, the Catholic Church, and labor organizations. The principal argument for restriction of immigration in the past 4 decades has stemmed from a desire to limit immigration from bordering countries to protect local labor markets. The masses of undocumented immigrants periodically legalized by special means suggest that migratory policies have yielded meager results. Global economic realities and national labor markets have had far more influence on migration flows than most administrative measures yet devised.