The Social Inclusion of Migrants Between Policy and Practice: Lessons from Uruguay

Abstract

Extant research on international migration in English overwhelmingly focuses on migration to and in Europe and North America. Yet major migration movements occur outside of these regions. This mismatch leads to a neglect of the multi-faceted migration dynamics beyond the global North. Uruguay is a case in point for two reasons. First, the country has become both a significant destination for inter-regional movements and a crucial albeit unexpected stop along an extended international route. Second, both the country's migration policies and research agenda have promptly responded to the surge in migration by examining recent migrants’ quality of life and issues of social inclusion. In this country report, we use the hitherto understudied case of Uruguay as an illustrative example to showcase potential policy and scholarship lessons for international migration. We argue that Uruguay constitutes an important case for future migration scholarship and policy outlook, because it enhances our understanding of how host countries can promote migrants’ social inclusion and well-being, even in the face of significant structural inequalities affecting both native and migrant populations. Hence, Uruguay's experiences against the backdrop of recent migration in-flows have implications for migration scholarship and policy in regional (Latin America and Caribbean) and global contexts.