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Immigration News
More evidence has emerged that most Mexican migrants in the
United Status plan to stay put in spite of the worsening economic
recession. A recent survey of former Mexico City residents now
living in the US has reported that 70 percent of persons
questioned in the study plan to remain in their adopted country.
“We don’t expect a massive arrival of migrants,” said Rosa Marquez
Cabrera, secretary of the department of Rural Development and
Community Equity of Mexico City’s local government.
Still, with an estimated 750,000 Mexico City-origin migrants
residing in the US, the possible return of more than 200,000
people to the Mexican capital at a time of deepening economic
crisis would pose a serious challenge.
The First Survey on Migration and Population Dynamics in the
Federal District reported that migration from Mexico City took off
during the 1990s, involving different social sectors. As many as 40
percent of migrants had high school, technical, professional or
university preparation.
Although the Mexico City study indicated the vast majority of
migrants did not intend to return home, the report contained an
additional economic warning sign. Previous to the economic crash,
Mexico City migrants were able to send up to $500 on average
each month to their relatives back home. Remittances, however,
suffered a 20 percent drop during the last two years, when
construction and other economic sectors in the US began
slowing down. In 2009, the average remittance is expected to take
another dive.
Source: La Jornada, March 5, 2009. Article by Laura Gomez
Flores.
Frontera NorteSur (FNS): on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico