HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) The arrival of millions of migrants and refugees to Latin American countries this past decade has affected labor markets in the region and should spur governments to find long-term solutions for immigration, according to a new report.
Traditional views that migration is temporary can no longer sustain the effects of economic stability that immigrants are having on labor markets and public services, the report by the Migration Policy Institute finds.
The report, “Key Considerations for Future Temporary Protection and Regularization Programs in Latin America,” says that migration is reshaping societies and challenging traditional notions of borders and belonging.
An example is the 7.8 million Venezuelans who have emigrated since 2015.
Adapting to their arrival requires second-generation policy approaches, according to the report that analyzes and compares different temporary protection and regularization initiatives from 11 countries.
“The temporary and ad hoc measures that have proliferated have offered countries flexible tools to rapidly respond to migration pressures, but their temporariness has over time created uncertainty for migrants and receiving communities alike,” according to the report.
The countries studied include: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the European Union, Morocco, Peru, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
It found many countries have become migrant-receiving countries “overwhelmed, as they often lack the necessary legal and institutional frameworks as well as the technical and financial capacity to process all individuals entering their territory.”
As a response, many countries have implemented temporary protections and regularization programs granting work authorization and access to essential services. However, the report finds that the programs often come with incomplete institutional frameworks and high costs, as well as political uncertainties if administrations change.
“As a result, migrants often end up in a precarious position holding a regular status but without a pathway to a more permanent one, excluded from opportunities to more fully become part of their new communities and contribute meaningfully to economic growth and development,” the report found.
Suggestions to achieve more long-term solutions include:
- Rethinking the design of temporary protection and regularization programs and how they connect to the mainstream visa system.
- Anchoring regularization schemes in legislation to improve policy continuity and stability across political shifts.
- Addressing gaps in data collection and connecting registration data with national data systems.
- Addressing concerns and fears within host communities to foster trust and transparency.
In 2017, Peru began offering temporary status for one year to Venezuelans via its Temporary Residence Permit.
The United States began offering Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in March 2021, during the Biden administration. This was later expanded in 2023 to include Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans.
However, the Supreme Court last month ruled in a case brought by the Trump administration to end TPS.
TPS for most Venezuelans will end on Sept. 10, according to U.S Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Only about 5,000 Venezuelans with TPS will be able to continue to work and live in the United States if their TPS had been extended to October 2026.
The Trump administration, however, is urging Venezuelan TPS holder to self-deport via the CBP Home app.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
