Immigrants’ Access to Social Protection in Latin America

2020-2021

Much attention is paid to south-north migration, but almost half of all migration is between countries in the global south. To what extent do states protect immigrants from sickness, old age, poverty, and unemployment? Do immigrants access social protection through the state, the market, or the family? The project studies unequal access to social protection between immigrants and citizens in Latin America. Bringing together studies of welfare states and scholarship on international migration, this project provides the first systematic analysis of immigrants’ access to social services and transfers in Latin America. By combining qualitative coding of legislation and policies, field-research, and surveys in countries with the greatest proportion of immigrants per capita (Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, and Uruguay), it provides a comparative assessment of social policies and their effect on immigrants.