Paraguay’s new migration policy: Human rights and security as pillars for the political treatment of immigration

Abstract

In tune with regional trends, Paraguay has recently reconfigured its migration policy. In this way, this country has implemented several measures to deal with international migration, despite the fact that it has historically been characterized by being a country of origin. This article explores the emerging tensions between human rights and security in recent changes in the Paraguayan immigration policy. This topic has barely been addressed in the academic literature and serves as a basis for further comparative studies. By analyzing regulatory and institutional sources, we reveal the strong role of the category of security in the actions carried out by the General Directorate of Migration (DGM by its Spanish acronym) between 2014 and 2019, which even surpass the actions undertaken in pursuit of migrants’ human rights, although it is from this latter point of view that the Paraguayan State justifies the political changes made to the contemporary treatment of population movements.