Trends in Caribbean migration and mobility
Migration often serves as an important adaptation strategy for millions of people in the region while also carrying an immense potential for regional development. Migration in the Caribbean can also bring challenges, both due to the loss of specialized human capital (often known as “brain drain”), and to the obstacles that arise in assisting and ensuring access to temporary and durable solutions for diverse flows of vulnerable migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other populations moving into, within and out of the region.
Within this context, and in line with the Global Compact on Migration (particularly its objectives 1, 3 and 17 on data and information), and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (particularly Objective 10.7 on orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, and Target 17.18 on disaggregation of data by characteristics including migration status), the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Regional Office for Central America, North America and the Caribbean in San José, Costa Rica, presents this data report in order to highlight several key historical and recent developments and trends in mobility and migration in the Caribbean region.
The report focuses on official statistics published by international agencies as well as records published and maintained by governments. While the depth of migration dynamics across the entire region is far too complex to understand in a single report, this publication serves as an important starting point for technocrats, policymakers, researchers, practitioners and other actors across governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, and academia to better understand complex phenomena of migration and mobility in the Caribbean region, in combination with other national and regional resources.