Central America: Crossroads of the Americas Many migratory streams from Central America — including refugees, economic migrants, and transit flows headed north from South America and elsewhere — have converged in North America since the 1980s. Sarah J. Mahler and Dusan Ugrina of Florida International University outline the region's main trends. Mexico: Caught Between the United States and Central America Since the 1980s, Mexico has become home to Guatemalan refugees and served as a transit country for Central Americans seeking to reach the United States. Manuel Ángel Castillo of El Colegio de México analyzes Mexico's policies toward its southern neighbors. Canada: A Northern Refuge for Central Americans Although most Central American refugees sought protection in the United States, Canada admitted thousands of Central American refugees in the 1980s. María Cristina García of Cornell University takes a detailed look at Central Americans in Canada. Migration and Development in El Salvador: Ideals Versus Reality Salvadorans abroad have helped their families economically and, to some extent, decreased poverty levels back home. Yet migration has economic and social costs in El Salvador — and has not yet proved to be the answer to its development problems, according to Katharine Andrade-Eekhoff. Remittance Trends in Central America In 2004, Central American countries received US$ 7.8 billion in remittances through official channels. Are remittances hurting or helping the region? MPI's Dovelyn Agunias investigates. CAFTA: What Could It Mean for Migration? The Central America Free Trade Agreement may be the most important economic event in the region in 20 years. However, it seems unlikely to reverse established migration trends, reports Salomon Cohen. MPI's Julia Gelatt reports on the Judiciary Committee's proposals for immigration reform, which set the stage for Senate debate on the topic, plus other immigration news. Full Story

Millions of Central Americans live and work in North America. This Special Issue looks at what caused the migration flows to El Norte and the impacts of Central American migration on both home and host societies. Download a PDF of the Special Issue on Central America Guatemala Guatemala's long civil war, which spurred large flows of refugees, has given way to high levels of economic migration to the United States and an economy more dependent on remittances. Also, Guatemala's geography has made it a prime transit country for migrants headed north, as James Smith of Inforpress Centroamericana reports. Guatemala Resource Page The Central American Foreign Born in the United States Over half of all Central American foreign born in the United States are from El Salvador and Guatemala. MPI's Megan Davy examines the numbers as well as events and policies that have shaped Central American migration. Central Americans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era Not long after the United States passed the 1980 Refugee Act, thousands of people began fleeing civil war in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Their treatment in the United States, linked to US foreign policy, spurred the Sanctuary Movement and efforts to grant them refugee status, as Susan Gzesh of the University of Chicago explains. National Policies and the Rise of Transnational Gangs The growth of violent gangs such as MS-13, which operates in the United States and Central America, has caught the attention of the US media and law enforcement. However, the role of migration policies in this growth deserves closer attention, finds MPI's Mary Helen Johnson.

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