The Negative Effects of Free Trade Agreements on Survival Migration: The Mexico-US and Morocco-EU agreements compared

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Juarez, Melina
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science

Abstract

Although immigration is not a new phenomenon, the changing dynamics of our modern world have put the issue at the forefront of national and international discourse. However, immigration is viewed as a voluntary act and is addressed differently from other forms of movement, such as those of refugees and asylum seekers. Yet, immigration is often spurred by factors outside the immigrant's control. This paper examines the role of free trade agreements in creating and exacerbating the socioeconomic conditions that serve as push factors of immigration. Two case studies are analyzed: the North American Free Trade Agreement focusing on Mexico and the United States and the Association Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Morocco. Both case studies are used as examples of the disruptive nature of free trade and to show how survival migration is an externality of such agreements.

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