Migration and the Global Crisis: New Prospects for Return? The Case of Ecuadorians in Europe

Abstract

This article explores the impact of the current recession on Ecuadorian labour migration to Europe. Several factors affect the evolution of this migration system: receiving countries' policies, the labour market demand (and its deterioration) and the scope for the self-maintenance of migrants' social networks. We especially focus on a relatively less studied issue: emigrant policies, symbolised, in Ecuador, by a pervasive emphasis on migrant return, somewhat echoed even in Spain, as a destination country. Still, a massive return scenario is implausible in the light of migrants' family stabilisation abroad, and of the uncertain prospects for development in their motherland. Even during a worldwide recession, the 'hidden agendas' in migration policies, along with the distinct time-scale and the self-feeding potential of a long-distance migration system, should be critically appreciated.

One (Slender) Tree, Many (Social) Roots: Revisiting Immigrant Associations Through a Case Study on Ecuadorians in Italy

“…4 However, broad consensus exists that there is a lack of coordination between the informal initiatives of immigrant associations and the more professional, expert and better funded activities of NGOs concerned with immigration issues (Hall, 2008). Both the organizational frailty of most associations and the recent impingements of the recession in the USA and Europe have made for limited formal collaboration between Ecuadorian institutions at home and immigrants' grassroots initiatives abroad (Boccagni & Lagomarsino, 2011).…”

Política de inmigración y los efectos de los ciclos económicos en la reunificación familiar en España

“…The consequences of bilateral agreements for immigration flows were dubious, as is often the case (Hanson 2009;Boccagni and Lagomarsino 2011). However, due to policy changes and improvements in the Ecuadorian and Colombian economies, immigration flows from Ecuador and Colombia stabilized in the mid-2000s with the arrival of less than 40,000 people per year from each of these two countries (Miyar 2011; Finotelli and Arango 2011).…”

El retorno más allá del mito del emprendedor. Estrategias económicas, familiares y afectivas de mujeres y hombres a su regreso a Ecuador desde España

“…En su revisión de la literatura para el caso ecuatoriano, Herrera (2013) advierte cómo los estudios sobre retorno despegan en 2010, dirigiéndose fundamentalmente al análisis de las políticas en esta materia (Moncayo 2011a(Moncayo , 2011b, a las condiciones desencadenadas por la crisis en Europa, particularmente en España (Peris-Mecheta et al, 2011;Duque y Genta Rossi, 2009;Boccagni y Lagomarsino, 2011, Herrera, 2013, y, en menor medida, al papel que desempeñan las redes y los vínculos transnacionales (Sanz, 2009;Schramm, 2011, a la relación de este con el desarrollo (Cortés, 2011) y a las experiencias de reinserción al regreso (Hernández et al, 2010). Tal y como señala Herrera, son pocas las aproximaciones de género, tanto en lo que se refiere a las motivaciones como a las estrategias desplegadas en la nueva situación.…”