In recent years, South America has been described as the epicenter of an unprecedented migration crisis. Yet this narrative is incomplete. Rather than an unexpected or uncontrollable phenomenon, the current situation reflects deeper structural failures in how states have managed human mobility. Migration did not take the region by surprise; what failed was the capacity for anticipation, coordination, and collective response. According to the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform (R4V), more than 7.9 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015³, making it one of the largest displacement crises in the world. Years before peak flows, early warning signs were already visible across the region, yet coordinated preparedness mechanisms remained limited. 

Across South America, migration has been approached through fragmented and often contradictory policies. Governments remain divided between securitized approaches and human rights-based frameworks, with little room for consensus. Unlike other regions where coordination mechanisms, however imperfect, provide some level of alignment, South America remains deeply shaped by political polarization. Migration policy is too often filtered through ideological binaries, where cooperation becomes secondary to political positioning. This has resulted in inconsistent entry policies, shifting legal frameworks, and unequal institutional capacities to receive migrants, particularly in countries with already strained labor markets and public services. Reports from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlight that South American countries adopted widely divergent visa regimes and regularization policies between 2018 and 2023⁴, often reversing measures within short periods. Meanwhile, the World Bank has documented uneven labor market absorption capacities across the region, with informality rates exceeding 50% in several countries², limiting the ability to integrate migrants effectively. 

The consequences of this fragmentation are visible on the ground. In many countries, migration management has been reactive rather than strategic. Border control systems remain weak, screening mechanisms are inconsistent, and institutional responses are frequently undermined by centralization and governance gaps. In contexts where public services such as healthcare, security, and justice systems, already operate under pressure, the sudden increase in demand has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. By 2022, less than half of South American countries had comprehensive migration frameworks in place¹, according to assessments by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), reflecting a persistent gap between foresight and policy implementation. This has not only affected migrants, who often face precarious and unsafe conditions, but has also fueled social tensions, including rising xenophobia linked to perceptions of insecurity and state incapacity. 

At the regional level, these challenges are compounded by the absence of a coherent governance framework. South America lacks an effective mechanism to coordinate migration policies, distribute responsibilities, or ensure minimum standards of protection. While some countries have been more directly affected than others, the response has remained largely national, with limited political will to pursue deeper integration. Differences in foreign policy alignment and domestic priorities have further weakened the prospects for collective action. As a result, a transnational phenomenon continues to be managed through isolated and insufficient responses, reinforcing the very fragmentation that has hindered effective solutions. Regional mechanisms, such as the Quito Process, have attempted to foster coordination, yet remain non-binding and limited in enforcement capacity. Similarly, organizations like UNASUR have experienced institutional paralysis in recent years, reflecting broader political fragmentation that constrains regional governance efforts. A meaningful response requires moving beyond ad hoc coordination toward a structured, regional governance mechanism. This does not necessarily imply replicating the European Union, but rather establishing a pragmatic framework focused on three priorities: policy harmonization, responsibility-sharing, and data coordination. A regional migration body could standardize visa and regularization processes, facilitate the redistribution of flows based on national capacities, and strengthen joint screening and protection mechanisms. Crucially, such an initiative must be insulated, as much as possible, from short-term political shifts that have historically undermined regional projects. While politically ambitious, even incremental steps toward institutionalized cooperation would represent a significant departure from the current fragmented approach. 

Addressing migration in South America requires more than stricter border controls or short-term political measures. It demands a rethinking of the region’s institutional architecture. Without a functional framework for regional governance, migration will continue to be treated as a crisis rather than as a structural reality. For many in South America, migration is not just a policy issue but a daily reality, one that reveals both the region’s capacity for solidarity and its deep structural limitations. Ultimately, the question is no longer whether the region can manage migration, but whether it is willing to overcome its own fragmentation to do so; because without cooperation, the next crisis will not be unexpected, it will be inevitable. 

References 

[1] Chaves-Gonzalez, Diego, Valeria Lacarte, Andrew Selee, and Andrea Ruiz. 2025. Rising Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean Has Ushered in a Volatile New Era. Washington, D.C.: Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/latin-america-caribbean-new-migration-era.

[2] Fietz, Karina, et al. 2025. (In)Formalizing Jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean: Taxes, Benefits, and Labor Market Incentives. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-2238-4. 

[3] Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V). 2024. Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) 2025-2026. Panama City: R4V. https://www.r4v.info/en/rmrp2025-2026. 

[4] Mcauliffe, M., and L. A. Oucho, eds. 2024. World Migration Report 2024. International Organization for Migration. Geneva: IOM. https://doi.org/10.18356/9789292685980.