IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joimai/v24y2023i4d10.1007_s12134-023-01040-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 and Protracted Displacement: a Scoping Review of Migration Policies in Mexico and Central America

Author

Listed:
  • Noor J. ten Have

    (Vrije University Amsterdam)

  • Kassandra J. Jimenez

    (Vrije University Amsterdam)

  • Jonas Attilus

    (University of Minnesota Medical School)

  • Maria B. Livaudais

    (California State University East Bay)

  • Brittney S. Mengistu

    (Vrije University Amsterdam)

Abstract

By the end of 2020, more than 500,000 migrants from Central America, Haiti, Africa, and Asia sought asylum along the US-Mexico border despite COVID-19-related travel restrictions and public health measures. A scoping review was conducted to understand the role of COVID-19-related policies on irregular migration flows through Central America and Mexico and to examine the experiences of asylum seekers traversing this region. Peer-reviewed literature, policy briefs, and commentaries were screened for inclusion, resulting in 33 documents selected for this review. This review identified three dominant themes: border closures due to multiple national migration policies, delays in asylum procedures, and increased risks to migrant wellbeing. This article argues that border closures were a punitive policy measure to deter irregular migration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for future research and policy include prioritizing the health needs of asylum seekers and advocating the appropriateness and effectiveness of immigration and public health policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Noor J. ten Have & Kassandra J. Jimenez & Jonas Attilus & Maria B. Livaudais & Brittney S. Mengistu, 2023. "COVID-19 and Protracted Displacement: a Scoping Review of Migration Policies in Mexico and Central America," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1835-1863, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:24:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-023-01040-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-023-01040-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-023-01040-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12134-023-01040-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:24:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-023-01040-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.