The recent geodynamics of Haitian migration in the Americas: refugees or economic migrants?

Abstract

After having presented the specific migration context of Haiti and its multidimensional vulnerability, this paper shows that the diaspora geography explains, to a large extent, the location of Haitian refugees and asylum seekers in North America and the French Caribbean territories. Then, we explore the relation between migration policy evolution and the development of new migration routes towards South America, where the recognition of the multidimensional nature of this migration has paved the way for the legalization of Haitian migrants, particularly in Brazil. The complementary migration functions of Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Chile created a new regional migration system centered on the Southeast and the South of Brazil. This emerging South-South migration route is part of a larger Haitian migration system that connects Latin America to North America and the Caribbean.