Most Guatemalan Immigrants in the US for Jobs

An international survey of undocumented immigrants in the US has cast doubts on the claims by immigrant advocates that most are trying to escape gang violence and crime in their home countries. The International Organization for Migration survey found instead results such as 91 percent of immigrants from Guatemala came to the US for economic reasons.

The study, which looked at immigration as well as money sent back to Guatemala from the US, was a collaboration between the International Organization for Migration and the government of Guatemala. It found that less than one percent of immigrants claim to have escaped from the Central American country through fear of crime and gang violence, two reasons commonly cited by immigration advocate groups.

The report was highlighted by the Center for Immigration Studies on Monday, noting that family reunion and economics are reasons often missing from the discussion on the cause of illegal immigration, according to Center analyst Kausha Luna. Luna added that attempts to fix the current immigration system in the US are unlikely to succeed unless these other reasons are taken into account.

The survey suggests that 56.8 percent of immigrants from Guatemala go to the US looking for better jobs, 32.9 percent do so to earn higher wages, 1.2 percent to buy their own home, 3.7 percent to reunite with family members, 0.3 percent because of local violence, 0.2 percent due to gang problems and extortion, and 0.1 percent to start their own businesses.