The Americas Can’t Handle Immigration a la Carte
The Western Hemisphere needs regional solutions to make the most of the migration wave it faces.
Latin America’s challenge and opportunity.
Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg via Getty Images
An unprecedented wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere is stressing communities and roiling politics in country after country. But with a shortage of human capital also posing a huge challenge, this movement could be an opportunity for countries and economies that can integrate the millions of sojourners in their midst.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 100 million people worldwide have been driven from their homes by natural disasters, political repression, conflicts and violence. Over 20 million — one in five — of these migrants are in the Western Hemisphere.