Back to the homeland: the politics of return migration in Mexico (1929 to 2018)

Thesis

This thesis explores why origin countries change their policy preferences on how they manage the return of their citizens over time if the circumstances that have triggered influxes of returns have not significantly changed. I study this question by looking at how and why Mexico has changed its policies for managing involuntary and voluntary returns over time. The thesis traces how the Mexican government managed three flows of return migration from the U.S., including: 1929 to 1940, 1943 to 1964, and 2006 to 2018. I argue that policy variation over time is driven by Mexico’s domestic objectives and foreign policy objectives with the U.S. government, and how returnees intersect with these political priorities.

I develop a theory that abrupt influxes of returnees have the potential to destabilize, consolidate, or have no significant impact on the domestic or bilateral objectives of origin countries and this is based on the skill of those returning, the type of return (voluntary or involuntary) and the reputation of those returning. When returnees did not destabilize or consolidate Mexico’s political objectives, the government adopted passive policies with limited budgets to manage returns. In times when returnees either destabilized or consolidated Mexico's political objectives, the government adopted active policies for managing returns. The thesis showcases how and why Mexico’s policy changes are driven by political interest.

This thesis contributes to scholarship on Mexico-U.S. migration and the politics of migration governance. Understanding how origin countries respond to voluntary and involuntary returns, and why such policies change, merits analysis, as abrupt inflows will continue in the coming years due to the militarization of borders, the deterioration of pathways for seeking asylum, and the proliferation of mechanisms to expedite deportations. This thesis serves as a framework for examining the conditions and processes that shape return migration policies from the perspective of origin countries.

Authors: Chavez, G

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-0nd69ax6v
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Mexico; U.S.-Mexico relations; Return migration; origin countries; international migration; Deportation
• Subjects: Migration studies; Mexican studies; Political Science