In the past seven years, remittances by U.S. workers to Mexico have dropped by 29% in the past seven years, according to a new report from Pew Research. The report, which used data from the World Bank, found that Mexican workers living in the U.S. have sent significantly less money back home on a yaerly basis. Remittance to other Latin American countries, however, has slowly increased.
An initial reaction to this data might be to assume that the dip in remittances is linked to the struggling U.S. economy. While the two are undoubtedly linked, the research also shows that the shift began occurring just prior to the 2008 recession.
In addition to the change in remittances, “more people” are now migrating “from the US to Mexico,” including Mexican workers that are returning home due to a lack of ample opportunities in the United States, according to Quartz.
The border between the United States of Mexico has long seen a massive influx of those from the Southern country headed north. According to a 2012 report from Pew Hispanic, the past four decades brought “12 million current immigrants—most of whom came illegally," one of the largest immigrant groups to the United States in a short period of time ever. Not only has that trend has since stopped, it may have even slightly reversed.
Border control and other immigration issues have been a divisive point of American politics for several years. Many view an influx of immigrants — especially illegal ones — as a threat the American economy. Others view the United States as a historical example of freedom and opportunity for immigrants. Apparently the weakened economy of the country has significantly tarnished both that reputation and the desire for immigrants to seek work in the country, as the data clearly shows that Mexican migrant workers are returning to home.
Of course, immigration remains a primary concern for the nation’s lawmakers, and the trend has not reversed significantly enough to drastically change the discussion surrounding immigration. Still, the fact that both remittance and migration have decreased demonstrate the profound effects of the U.S.’s continuously struggling economy and its impact around the globe.