Although current media is focused primarily on Mexico’s northern border with the United States, a little known debate has raged over a situation farther south along the Mexico-Guatemala border as thousands of immigrants attempt to cross the border daily on their way to the United States. In this paper I plan to explain several aspects of immigration, the circumstances in Central America that contribute to illegal immigration, Central America’s significance in the illegal immigration network, and specific polices that might be established to reduce it.

Uti possidetis juris. It is shocking that three simple words had the power to irrevocably change the territorial composition of Central America and the life of its indigenous inhabitants. After independence, the uti possidetis juris principle dictated that the current borders between the nations be primarily the same as when the Spanish had divided the region into viceroyalties (Rarick, 2000).

Where colonial boundaries were vague, local geographical features marked the border. Unfortunately, the Spanish drew these boundaries irrespective of the local indigenous populations, which later caused the first form of cross-border migration between Central America and Mexico as the border divided extended families.

Social, political, and economic factors called “push factors” influence potential migrants when making the decision to leave their host country. Push factors like of underdevelopment, poverty, corruption, exploitation, low wages, the lack of land and jobs, income disparities, or political strife are major causes of international outward migration ...

Read Illegal Immigration and Human Smuggling: Central America and Mexico

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Melinda S. Oja
International Policy Formulation
White Paper

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is a source of mounting concern for politicians in the United States. In the past ten years, the U.S. population of illegal immigrants has risen from five million to nearly twelve million, prompting angry charges that the country has lost control over its borders.

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