Mexican Emigration Down Over Last Two Years
A survey conducted by the National Statistics and Geography Institute reveals that Mexican emigration has dropped 42 percent over the last two years. The study indicates that the economic downturn combined with increased enforcement has made the United States less appealing.
According to the survey, eight of every 1,000 Mexicans emigrated between February and May of 2008, which is 42 percent less than the same time period in 2006. In 2007, 814,000 Mexicans emigrated compared to 1.2 million in 2006. The survey did not differentiate between legal and illegal migration.
The survey did not discuss reasons for the lower numbers, but experts say it's due to stepped up enforcement in the United States as well as the economy.
Director of the Tijuana-based Binational Center for Human Rights Victor Clark said in an Associated Press article, "There is no longer an American dream, at least for the moment with the economic situation. News of mass raids snowball through towns that send a lot of migrants. In small northern towns, the news is that there is no work for Mexicans in the United States."
Reports from the U.S. Border Control support the falling numbers. The agency has reported a 39 percent drop since 2005 in illegal migrant captures.
Mexico City's municipal government predicts up to 30,000 Mexican immigrants will return to Mexico in the upcoming months as the U.S. economy continues to worsen. Experts say, however, once the economy rebounds, the number of Mexican emigrants will rebound.
The Associated Press has more on this story.