The core areas of focus include mixed migration within South America, movements from this part of the region towards North America, and mixed migration in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Depending on quarterly trends more attention may be given to some countries over the rest
Las principales áreas de análisis abarcan la migración mixta dentro de Suramérica, los movimientos mixtos desde la región hacia Norteamérica y la migración mixta en México, América Central y el Caribe. En función de las tendencias trimestrales, se profundiza en las dinámicas de determinados países.
Key migration trends and policy updates
Severalstalledimmigration policies put forward by the United States government have been approved by the Supreme Court. These rulings reversed previous lower court suspensions, allowing the administration to proceed with the removal of temporary protection status and blocking asylum at the border.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast is moving forward with an expansive programme of immigration reform, including proposals to restrict access to health care for migrants, criminalise irregular entry and include instructions to note parental immigration status on birth certificates.
Costa Rica revives a new immigration pathway for asylum seekers in the country. The new status is open to those whose asylum applications are either still pending or have been rejected. It is hoped that this simpler process will help to resolve the backlog of asylum cases.
New regularisation mechanisms have been introduced in Panama and Curaçao, although they do not offer the same guarantees. Panama created a new “special regime”for returning Spanish speakers in the process of returning a temporary transit status, allowing them to stay in the country for 30 days.Curaçao has also launched a regularisation initiative, called Rib’e Lugá, to offer one- to three-year residence permits to migrants already present in the country.
The United States expands the use of bilateral agreements to deport more than 19,000 refugees and migrants between February 2025 and May 2026 to at least 23 countries that are not their own.
Canada adopts a new law regulating asylum. The new law seeks to modernise processes but also imposes a filing deadline and allows for greater information sharing among government agencies. The latter two provisions have raised concerns about cases being thrown out for non-substantive reasons and privacy violations.
Many Venezuelans who wish to return to the country are facing difficulties in doing so. Venezuela requires a passport or government-issued ID to enter by plane, which many don’t have. Thus, many countries, including the United States and Chile, are trying to find ways to restore these documents.
The QMMUs offer an update on new trends and dynamics related to mixed migration and relevant policy developments in the region. These updates are based on a compilation of a wide range of secondary (data) sources, brought together within a regional framework and applying a mixed migration analytical lens. Similar QMMUs are available for all MMC regions.
Interested in other Quarterly Updates?
Explore mixed migration trends and policy developments compiled through diverse secondary sources.
