Securitización da (in)migración en América Latina

Resumen

The article analyzes the uptick in migration in Latin America and how it is discursively treated as a security issue—a process known as “securitization.” It argues that collective identity becomes the core of “societal security,” and that labeling the migrant population as a “threat” legitimizes exceptional and exclusionary responses. It also engages the debate on the intentional political use of migration flows to exert pressure and international coercion. This is done through a non-systematic narrative review of the literature alongside a trend study that combines, on the one hand, theory and, on the other, technical reports from international organizations. The text likewise shows that digital media in the region frame migration mainly as a threat (crime) or as victimhood (vulnerability), with alarmist headlines that shape public opinion. Consequently, several surveys reveal greater support for restrictive policies, the belief that migrants are a burden, and a growing association between immigration and crime in various countries. However, comparative evidence refutes this link: migrants’ crime rates tend to be equal to or lower than their share of the population. In response, the article concludes by offering a ten-point set (“decalogue”) of concrete tools for formulating regional public policies that guarantee the fundamental rights of migrants.