Migrants Flood Back to Uruguay
Analysis
Migration patterns documented in Uruguay in the past few years have been mainly characterized by the return of nationals, especially from Spain and the United States. When analyzing the particulars of returning Uruguayans, we see that many have acquired a second nationality while away from their country of birth. Mainly those who had migrated to the United States, Spain and Argentina.
Another important trend is the increasing arrival of migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean, heterogeneous in ethnic and racial composition. For example, the number of Peruvian migrants in Uruguay has tripled since 2011. The country has also registered an increase of migrants arriving from Mexico, Brazil and Central America. Another new development is the number of new migrants that report indigenous extraction.
In general terms, the trend has positioned Uruguay as a country of destination, although it is still considered a country of origin, as it was for many decades, especially since 1970.
Uruguay - The return of Uruguayan migrants continues at what authorities are calling a “historic record,” with more than 2,200 returns registered in the past 12 months.
In 2013, a total of 2,242 Uruguayans returned to their country of origin voluntarily and at their own expense. The vast majority cited financial and family reasons when making the decision to return home.
The majority of the returnees were living in Spain, followed by the United States and Argentina. Almost 1,500 of those who returned in 2013 settled in the capital Montevideo.
During this week’s presentation of a report on the return of nationals, compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IOM reported a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving in the country from Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Although the foreign-born account for only 2.4 per cent of the population of 3.3 million, it is a definite shift in the country’s migration patterns. Economic growth and low unemployment in Uruguay are not only prompting many of its nationals to return home, but it is encouraging migrants from neighbouring countries and other countries in the region to look for opportunities here,” explains Alba Goycoechea, Head of the IOM Mission in Uruguay.
Argentina heads the list, accounting for 34 per cent of the foreign born in Uruguay, followed by Brazil with 16 per cent; Paraguay with 2.3 per cent; Chile with 2.2 per cent; Peru with 1.9 per cent Venezuela with 1.2 per cent; Colombia with 1.0 per cent, Bolivia with 0.5 per cent; and Ecuador with 0.4 per cent.
Between 1996 and 2011 the number of Peruvian migrants tripled. Arrivals from the Dominican Republic, United States, Colombia and the United Kingdom have also increased in the last few years.
IOM is helping to build the capacity of government officials by taking part in a series of workshops focusing on migrants’ rights and migration management.
“We are providing government officials with the knowledge of international migration law and standards to ensure that migrants’ rights are upheld, especially when they come across the most vulnerable, such as unaccompanied minors,” added Goycoechea.
IOM provided its expertise to government authorities charged with drafting Uruguay’s migration policy.
The IOM publication: International Migrants and Returnees in Uruguay: Magnitude and Characteristics, is available in Spanish at: http://www.iom.int/files/live/sites/iom/files/pbn/docs/Informe-de-resultados-del-Censo-de-Poblacion-2011.pdf
For more information, please contact
Alba Goycoechea
IOM Montevideo
Email: agoycoechea@iom.int
Tel: +598 2 916.80.43