Ecuador’s Transformation from a Migrant Sending to a Migrant Recipient Nation
Intra-regional migration in the Americas has increased since the 1990s and doubled between 2000 and 2017.[1] Ecuador’s transformation in the last ten years from a traditionally migrant sending to a migrant host and transit nation further illustrates this growing pattern of intra-regional migration.
Ecuador’s role as the largest refugee host in Latin America and the Caribbean makes the migration profile more complex.[2] Recent migration flows into Ecuador have included Colombians fleeing violence and Cubans and Venezuelans escaping dire political and economic conditions. This migration profile underscores the continuous mobility of people in the region and the need for policymakers to be proactive in designing policies which account for the varying ebbs and flows of migration.
At the Inter-American Dialogue, José Miguel Insulza described the events of September 30, in which Ecuadoran police brought the country to a standstill after they rioted and trapped President Rafael Correa in a Quito hospital for several hours.