On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

by Andrew Dan Selee, Valerie Lacarte, Diego Chaves-Gonzalez, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

Overview

The Americas is a region on the move and is both the source and recipient of some of the largest migrations in the world today. While much scholarship and public commentary focus on the considerable movement of people northward toward the United States, most of the millions of migrants from the Americas are in fact, the authors reveal, staying within other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through a combination of engaging narratives and evidence-based analysis, On the Move tells a story of both triumph and tragedy. The authors explore the complex composition of migration flows and the varied and uneven ways in which host countries in the region have responded. This book takes readers beyond the typical debates on US immigration policy and represents the first comprehensive look at how countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are reacting to an unprecedented wave of people around the world who choose—or are forced—to move across borders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781503635142
Publisher:	Stanford University Press
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Andrew Selee is the President of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), former Executive Vice President of the Wilson Center, and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Valerie Lacarte is a Senior Policy Analyst at MPI and Adjunct Professor at American University. Ariel G. Ruiz Soto is a Senior Policy Analyst at MPI. Diego Chaves-González is Senior Manager for MPI's Latin America and Caribbean Initiative and has worked with UN Migration and the World Bank Group.

Editorial Reviews

"Latin America and the Caribbean have seen the fastest rise in immigration, globally, over the last 15 years. On the Move is essential for grasping the complex interactions of the Caribbean, South America, Central America, and Mexico—previously distinct migration systems—and how these shape their migration policies." —Diego Acosta, University of Bristol

"This brilliant book looks south of the US-Mexico border to examine the new contours of migration in the Americas, illuminating the forces that propel people into movement and how governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are at once shaping migration and responding to its challenges. An essential antidote to US-centric thinking about migration." —Roger Waldinger, University of California, Los Angeles

"The authors rightly affirm the need to examine intra-regional migration in the Americas, aptly placing South America, Central America, and the Caribbean in conversation, and analyzing contemporary migratory patterns, policies and responses within states. This book serves as a useful guide given emerging shifts within the region." —Natalie Dietrich Jones, University of the West Indies

"Latin America and the Caribbean are most often associated with out migration to North America and Europe. But the levels of intra-regional migration have soared in recent decades and migrants now arrive from the four corners of the globe. On The Move fills an enormous void in our understanding of migration patterns in the Americas and the response of governments to this increasingly global phenomenon. The book will become an instant classic and a touchstone in the field of migration studies." —James F. Hollifield, co-editor of Understanding Global Migration

From the Publisher