Labor market insertion of professional Venezuelan immigrants in northern Chile: precariousness and discrimination in the light of migration policy

This article describes the labor market insertion experiences of a group of professional Venezuelan immigrants in northern Chile. Using a qualitative methodology, fourteen people who met the inclusion criteria were interviewed. The participants' discourses show that their experiences have been stressful because they have not been able to revalidate their degrees, have to take on jobs for which they are overqualified, and suffer exploitation and discrimination. The stories are analyzed based on previous studies and related theory, finding that the main factor affecting this reality is the current Chilean immigration legislation, which has an orientation based on control and national security. It is concluded that the current immigration legislation facilitates immigrants' labor precariousness and contributes to their situation of vulnerability.

Cosponsoring and Cashing In: US House Members’ Support for Punitive Immigration Policy and Financial Payoffs from the Private Prison Industry

The private prison industry is a multi-million-dollar industry that has increasingly profited from the detention of undocumented immigrants. As a government contractor, therefore, the industry has a natural interest in government decision making, including legislation that can affect its expansion into immigrant detention. In this article, we examine the relationship between campaign donations made on behalf of the private prison industry and an untested form of position taking—bill cosponsorship—in the US House of Representatives. We hypothesize the private prison industry will reward House members for taking positions that benefit the industry. We also hypothesize the private prison industry will also reward House members who incur greater political risk by taking positions out of sync with the party. To test our hypotheses, we focus on punitive immigration legislation that has the potential to increase the supply of immigrant detainees over the course of eight years. We find support for our second hypothesis, that private prison companies are more likely to reward House Democrats who cosponsor punitive immigration policies even after accounting for possible endogeneity. The findings have important implications regarding the relationship between House members and private interests.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Access To The Justice System By Abused Refugee Women In Canada

This paper reviews literature about the Canadian justice system’s responses to woman abuse in general, with a particular focus on abused refugee women. Due to the complexity of the issue of woman abuse, this topic is examined using the following theoretical frameworks: Systemic Racism Theory, Cultural Racism Theory, Social Ecological model and the hindrance put forward by the Neo Liberalism ideology. A general overview of the Canadian immigration and refugee system is necessary, in order to systematically contextualize current and former policies and practices. The impact such policies have on refugee women when accessing the justice system can be severe, firstly due to current justice systems’ intersectionalities, secondly due to the lack of coordination between the criminal, family and immigration justice systems, and thirdly due to barriers in services. Furthermore, alarming recent changes in Canadian immigration legislation, will create further difficulties in access to justice by refugee women experiencing violence.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Access To The Justice System By Abused Refugee Women In Canada

This paper reviews literature about the Canadian justice system’s responses to woman abuse in general, with a particular focus on abused refugee women. Due to the complexity of the issue of woman abuse, this topic is examined using the following theoretical frameworks: Systemic Racism Theory, Cultural Racism Theory, Social Ecological model and the hindrance put forward by the Neo Liberalism ideology. A general overview of the Canadian immigration and refugee system is necessary, in order to systematically contextualize current and former policies and practices. The impact such policies have on refugee women when accessing the justice system can be severe, firstly due to current justice systems’ intersectionalities, secondly due to the lack of coordination between the criminal, family and immigration justice systems, and thirdly due to barriers in services. Furthermore, alarming recent changes in Canadian immigration legislation, will create further difficulties in access to justice by refugee women experiencing violence.

Securitized and criminalized: an analysis of Mexico’s addition to the list of designated countries of origin

Mexico’s addition to the list of Designated Countries of Origin (DCO) i.e. safe countries in light of extreme human rights violations and government corruption raises many questions. Using government data obtained through the Access to Information Act, this qualitative study examines the DCO policy and safe country designation process and applies the country designation criteria to the case of Mexico. Through government discourse, the securitization of migration and the construct of the ‘criminal’ refugee claimant have become normalized, leading to exclusionary immigration legislation. While questioning whether or not Mexico belongs on the DCO list, this study reveals the unjustifiable discrimination contained in Canadian refugee policy, specifically the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act (Bill C-31).

Securitized and criminalized: an analysis of Mexico’s addition to the list of designated countries of origin

Mexico’s addition to the list of Designated Countries of Origin (DCO) i.e. safe countries in light of extreme human rights violations and government corruption raises many questions. Using government data obtained through the Access to Information Act, this qualitative study examines the DCO policy and safe country designation process and applies the country designation criteria to the case of Mexico. Through government discourse, the securitization of migration and the construct of the ‘criminal’ refugee claimant have become normalized, leading to exclusionary immigration legislation. While questioning whether or not Mexico belongs on the DCO list, this study reveals the unjustifiable discrimination contained in Canadian refugee policy, specifically the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act (Bill C-31).

Punishing the Mentally Ill: Human Rights Concerns in Canadian Immigration Detention Policy & Practice

Canadian prisons house persons who have never committed a crime but who have immigration problems and mental illness. This paper explores why this is happening by reviewing current immigration legislation, past policy shifts, public opinion about immigrants and persons with a mental illness, and the role of political elites and the media in shaping the issues.

Punishing the Mentally Ill: Human Rights Concerns in Canadian Immigration Detention Policy & Practice

Canadian prisons house persons who have never committed a crime but who have immigration problems and mental illness. This paper explores why this is happening by reviewing current immigration legislation, past policy shifts, public opinion about immigrants and persons with a mental illness, and the role of political elites and the media in shaping the issues.

Biden Administration Reverses Trump Administration Policies on Immigration and Asylum

After taking office, the Biden administration quickly moved to reverse or revoke a number of the Trump administration's immigration-related policies. On inauguration day, President Joseph Biden announced several significant changes, including termination of the national emergency at the southern border, halting border wall construction, and removal of discriminatory travel restrictions imposed primarily on Muslim-majority countries. In the following weeks, Biden continued to reverse Trump administration policies, including by overhauling the asylum-seeker regime, creating task forces to undo the harms caused by Trump-era border practices, and reimposing some COVID-related travel restrictions, while revoking others. The Biden administration's proposed immigration legislation could introduce even broader reforms going forward.