Survey Shows Hondurans Emigrate for Economic Reasons

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The widely covered caravan of illegal aliens – most of them from Honduras – continues to makes its way toward the U.S. border, where the majority are expected to claim asylum. But CIS reports that a new study by a Jesuit-run research and social action center in Honduras finds that Hondurans emigrate primarily for economic reasons, not to flee violence.

The report by the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC-SJ as it is known in Spanish) is based on a survey of public perceptions of Honduras' social, political, and economic situation in 2017. ERIC-SJ conducted the survey February 12-22, 2018, with a national sample of 1,584 valid questionnaires, which is representative of all persons over 18 who live in the country. The survey has a sampling error of +/- 2.5 percentage points and a 95 percent confidence level.

View the full article at: https://cis.org/Luna/Survey-Shows-Hondurans-Emigrate-Economic-Reasons

The report confirmed that the economic crisis in Honduras as the main cause for migration. Of the respondents that had a family member who had emigrated in the last four years, 82.9 percent did so due to lack of employment and opportunities to generate an income. Meanwhile, 11.3 percent migrated due to violence and insecurity. In comparison, the 2015 ERIC-SJ survey showed that 77.6 percent migrated for economic reasons and 16.9 percent migrated due to violence.

The declining relevance of violence as a push-factor may be a result of the decreasing levels of violence in the country. Homicide rates in Honduras have continued to fall since 2012. The number of homicides in Honduras decreased by 24.97 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center, said: "A refugee is a person who has experienced or fears persecution based on five specific grounds laid out in international treaties and U.S. law. People fleeing poverty, disorder, or generalized violence do not qualify. This survey, conducted with the support of the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, suggests that few, if any, of those heading to the U.S. border from Honduras are refugees. If they nonetheless pass the 'credible fear' interview that is the first step in an asylum claim, they will likely be released from custody and join the large illegal alien community already living in the U.S."

Contact: Marguerite Telford 
202-466-8185, [email protected]

SOURCE Center for Immigration Studies