The Local Consequences of Migration Policies in Latin America, Africa, and North America

Abstract

Global migration is on the rise. Around the world, towns and cities and community members grapple with the consequences of migration -- there are responses of solidarity and permissive policies as well as flares of xenophobia and migration restrictions. Common explanations for these diverging reactions often cite real or perceived impacts of migrants on the country as a whole, such as on cultural identity, national security, or the economy. Far less attention has been given to the localized and tangible impacts of migration on cities and towns. My doctoral research focuses on migrant and refugee inclusion using several case studies to explore how national migration polices have differential impacts on local governments and host citizens. My research on three distinct cases -- Colombia, Uganda, and the US -- takes a focus on the service-related impacts of refugees and immigrants and its political consequences. In my first project, I examine how Colombia’s migration policies, which produced a phenomenon of mass transit migration in certain cities and towns, affects perceptions of city management and party competition in local elections. In a second project in Uganda, I explore how the divergence between official policies and local implementation leads to ``social boundaries" in which citizens exclude refugees from local understandings of citizenship and informal rights. In a final paper, with coauthors, I examine the fiscal impacts of refugee-hosting on towns and communities in the United States. Overall, these projects are interested in two main themes: 1) how migration policy implementation affects diverse outcomes including elections and citizen identities 2) the role of service delivery in determining political responses to refugees/migrants.