More Mexicans Leaving Than Entering The US, New Study Reveals

Mexican immigration history has taken a 180° turn, according to a recent study. The Pew Research Center revealed on Thursday that more Mexican immigrants have returned to Mexico from the U.S. than have migrated here since the end of the Great Recession in 2008. For the first time in four decades, more Mexicans would rather go back to their native country so they can reunite with their family, which was reported as the top reason behind this new movement.

The Pew report mentions that from 2009 to 2014, 1 million Mexicans and their families, including U.S. born children, left the United States for Mexico. According to the New York Times, immigration from Mexico began to rise in the 1970s but has now diminished due to high costs and difficulty crossing the border.

Pew’s research comes in handy at a moment in which immigration is being greatly discussed by both, Republican and Democratic, candidates. While the border debate has focused on building walls and reinforcing security measures, Ana Gonzalez-Barrera, the report’s author, says President Obama’s administration has made a significant difference when it comes to reducing illegal crossings at the Mexican border.

“We think Mexican migration is definitely in a new phase, and it will not return to the levels it once had,” Ms. Gonzalez-Barrera told the publication.

This change in Mexican immigration does not mean that the U.S. is receiving less immigrant flow on a general basis; it means that the nationality of such immigrants is shifting. An increase in the number of new immigrant arrivals from China, India and Central America has been documented in recent years.