Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

Podcast: Unprecedented Flow of Migrants Tests Latin American Solidarity

Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe Migration Policy Institute’s Andrew Selee discusses the reasons for migration and government responses throughout Latin America on this episode of “Deep South.”
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SCHNEYDER MENDOZA / AFP / GETTY

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Thousands of Latin Americans are currently crisscrossing the continent, with an unprecedented number of people leaving their national borders. The flood of newcomers is stretching the budgets and resources of both host and passageway countries.

For Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, although the plight of the Honduran caravan is calling much attention, the outflow of Venezuelans is the main phenomenon. Although estimates vary,  between two and four million Venezuelans have crossed into neighboring countries since 2015. “Nicaraguans are also starting to leave, although the numbers are relatively small in comparison,” said Selee, adding that there is a high risk Nicaragua will see even more emigration. Selee joins AQ’s managing editor Cecilia Tornaghi to look at the response from host countries and the trends for regional migration.

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