Irregular Migration Flows to the Americas from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean – Reliefweb

Background On May 4, 2016, the Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel A. Gonzlez Sanz, was received by the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States during a special meeting to address to situation of irregular migration flows in the region. As part of his remarks, the minister noted the recent phenomenon of irregular migration flows that have seen a significant uptick throughout the region. The minister explained the situation in Costa Rica, which has been a point of entry and transit for thousands of migrants of Cuban origin and from outside the hemisphere, primarily from Africa and Asia. During this same speech before the Permanent Council, the Costa Rican state requested that the OAS Secretary General prepare an urgent study on the migration situation in the region, to address the recent increase in the irregular flow of migrants from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. The OAS Permanent Council received the request during the meeting. OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, in response to the request, commissioned the study to the Secretariat of Access to Rights and Equality, through its Department of Social Inclusion, the area charged with supporting OAS efforts on migration matters. The OAS Secretariat of Multidimensional Securitys Department of Public Security and the OAS representation in the Dominican Republic also contributed to the report.

Given the International Organization for Migrations (IOM) work as the main international organization on migration, the OAS Secretary General and the Deputy Director General of the IOM agreed to partner in preparing this study. This report presents the joint work of these two organizations. The study also includes contributions from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), through its Regional Delegation for Mexico, Central America, and Cuba.

Main Conclusions

Irregular migration transcends issues of a bilateral or regional nature: it includes countries of origin, transit and destination.

Irregular flows into the Americas of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean must be analyzed according to their specific origins and characteristics.

Lack of documentation, language barriers, and lack of consular and diplomatic representations make it difficult for national authorities, international organizations and civil society to manage migration.

The final most likely destination of flows is the United States, followed to a lesser extent by Brazil for Haitians, Africans and Asians. For the Cubans, the other preferred destinations are Mexico and Ecuador.

Migrants are much more likely to find a relative, friend, or fellow national that facilitates their immigration to the United States than to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.