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This Quarterly Mixed Migration Update (QMMU) covers the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The core countries of focus for this region are the countries currently affected by the Venezuelan crisis and the Caribbean islands. Depending on the quarterly trends and migration-related updates, more attention may be given to some countries over the rest.
The QMMUs offer a quarterly 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.
Key Updates Quarter 3 – 2024
- Electoral upheaval in Venezuela created concerns that migration would increase significantly, but this did not materialise during this quarter: The number of new arrivals of Venezuelans to Colombia increased by about 7% between July and August 2024, significant, but not outside of the typical range of arrivals per month over the whole of 2024.
- Numbers of people at the Darien decreased substantially, but “shut down” remains elusive: Following his inauguration on July 1, Panamanian President Mulino faced the challenge of implementing his campaign promise of “shutting down the Darien.” Some pathways have been physically blocked with barbed wire and some migrants have been deported. Encounters in the Darien show a substantial decrease, from an average of more than 30,000 per month in the first six months of the year to 20,519 in July and 16,603 in August. However, it is unclear what additional measures may be taken, including which migrants may be targeted for deportation.
- Arrivals at the US Southern border decreased considerably: In July 2024, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 107,503 migrants on the Southern border, a small figure compared to a peak of 301,982 in December 2023. In July 2024, 56,399 people crossed the US border without approaching an official port of entry and ended up in custody, the lowest number since September 2020. However, civil society organisations such as WOLA and Human Rights First have raised questions about the human costs of the policies that drove the decline.
- Ecuador launched a new regularisation process for Venezuelans: After ending a previous regularisation initiative in April, a presidential decree initiated a new effort to provide status to another 100,000 Venezuelans.
- Asylum requests in Mexico declined: According to the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR by its Spanish acronym), the number of asylum requests in the country has been decreasing. In July and August 2024, 10,706 applications were recorded, compared to 24,666 applications in the same period in 2023, marking a 57% decrease. Migrants have reported barriers to accessing the agency, such as long delays in gaining interviews and not being allowed to be accompanied to the meetings. The agency has reportedly struggled to build its capacity to meet the increasing number of applications over the last decade.