The report indicates that 40 percent of refugees have received some form of higher education, primarily in health and education. However, they face challenges such as uncertain legal status, poor working conditions, and difficulty in verifying their qualifications.
A new report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reveals that migration has had a positive effect on GDP in certain areas of Latin America due to the increased concentration of migrant labor in economically productive regions.
At a regional seminar in Santiago, Chile, a report was presented highlighting that migrant labor contributes 13.4 percent of Chile’s GDP growth, underscoring the role of international migrationlatin in sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Within a decade, the contribution of foreign labor to Chile’s GDP quadrupled, and their share of the national economy nearly tripled. The migrant labor force grew at an annual rate of over 20 percent, which is more than ten times that of Chile’s domestic workforce.
Since 1992, the number of foreign nationals in Chile has increased sixfold, making it a popular destination for immigrants from other parts of South America.
Over the past decade, Chile has seen a dramatic increase in job-related migration, with the number of migrants soaring from 115,000 in 2009 to 550,000 in 2017. At that time, migrants represented 6.5 percent of the labor force, and it is believed that their portion has grown even larger.
In Mexico, only 15 percent of people over 25 have a college degree or higher. However, immigrant populations bring professional qualifications that can bolster a country’s standards.
United States immigrants have higher educational attainment compared to other regions worldwide, with 35 percent holding higher degrees. Latinos lead at 41 percent, and individuals from other regions outside Latin America reach 60 percent.
According to ECLAC, 84.4 percent of Peru’s foreign population consists of Venezuelans, making it the largest immigrant group in the country. However, it remains unclear how their migration will affect Peru’s sustainable development.
The report indicates that 40 percent of refugees have received some form of higher education, primarily in health and education. However, they face challenges such as uncertain legal status, poor working conditions, and difficulty in verifying their qualifications.
Migration to Chile has contributed significantly to population growth, accounting for over 33 percent of it between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, it has helped mitigate the effects of an aging population and has boosted birth rates, according to ECLAC’s study.
“It’s clear that the arrival of immigrants in the last two decades has helped remedy intergenerational demographic imbalances caused by population aging and a drop in birth rates below replacement levels,” concluded the ECLAC study.
