The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) recently found and analyzed a Honduran survey that showed that the increase of Honduran migrants to the U.S. is being caused by economic issues, not violence as the Obama administration has claimed. The survey was conducted by a Honduran research and social action center in Spanish and had 1,571 participants and a 95% confidence level.
CIS published the following press release on the survey:
Contrary to Obama administration rhetoric that the Central Americans it is letting across the border are "refugees," a new survey in Honduras finds that economic conditions are the main push factor for emigration to the United States, not flight from violence. The Center for Immigration Studies continues to report that the pull factor is the knowledge that they will be allowed to stay and receive benefits. The combination of these two factors is the primary reason 240,000 unaccompanied minors and family units from Central America have entered since 2012.
The Honduran survey, by the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (or ERIC-SJ, as it is known in Spanish), confirmed that the economic crisis in that country is by far the most important reason for migration. Of the respondents who had a family member who had migrated in the last four years, 77.6 percent did so due to lack of employment and a search for better opportunities. Only 16.9 percent migrated due to violence and insecurity. The numbers come as no surprise, as homicide rates in Honduras have been decreasing since 2012.
View the entire article at: http://cis.org/luna/survey-shows-main-cause-honduran-emigration-economics-not-violence
