TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 and protracted displacement: a Scoping Review of Migration Policies in Mexico and Central America.
AU - ten Have, Noor J.
AU - Jimenez, Kassandra J.
AU - Attilus, Jonas
AU - Livaudais, Maria B.
AU - Mengistu, Brittney S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Central America
KW - COVID-19
KW - Mexico
KW - Noor J. ten Have and Kassandra J. Jimenez are co-first authors
KW - Policies
KW - Refugees
KW - US
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85159076025
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85159076025&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12134-023-01040-w
DO - 10.1007/s12134-023-01040-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85159076025
SN - 1488-3473
VL - 24
SP - 1835
EP - 1863
JO - Journal of International Migration and Integration
JF - Journal of International Migration and Integration
IS - 4
ER -
