Legal Inclusion or Economic Prosperity? Venezuelan Migration Decisions to Argentina and the United States

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 02. Venezuelan immigrants and the migration process

Abstract

Approximately 8 million Venezuelans have fled human rights violations, economic collapse, and authoritarianism, producing the largest displacement crisis worldwide. Venezuelan migrants have chosen destination countries that defy common assumptions in international migration theory, which posit that migrants go to wealthy nations in the global North (e.g., the United States) where they can access economic opportunities or where migrant social ties can support them in the host society. Moreover, the migratory patterns of this population challenge common nativist claims that granting rights to immigrants acts as a pull factor for mass migration. For example, Argentina has one of the most welcoming immigration laws. Yet, despite the legal inclusivity potential, Argentina has remained the sixth-leading destination, while countries that offer fewer rights and paths to durable legality are more popular. The question remains: How do perceptions of a good life, as reflected in legal inclusion versus economic prosperity, shape Venezuelan migrants’ decisions about where to migrate? This article builds on the Aspiration-Capabilities Framework, which posits that migration occurs when people both aspire to move and have the capability to do so. We expand this framework by examining the instrumental and intrinsic value migrants assign to an imagined good life in countries with diverging economic prospects and legal inclusion regimes. The analysis draws on 84 in-depth interviews with adult Venezuelan migrants in Miami, USA (n=43) and Buenos Aires, Argentina (n=41). Findings show that migrants to the United States prioritized access to multiple low-skilled jobs that could provide economic security, often accepting legal precarity as a reasonable compromise. In contrast, migrants who went to Argentina emphasized legal stability and accessible lawful permanent residency, prioritizing legal inclusion over economic considerations. These findings show that even amid forced displacement, migrants’ subjective visions of a good life shape how they navigate structural constraints and select destinations.

Authors

• Deisy Del Real, University of Southern California

• Clara Jasmine Alvarez Caraveo, University of Southern California