In a World on the Move, a Tiny Land Strains to Cope

In Cape Verde, the number of people who have migrated approaches the number of people who have stayed behind, and everyone has a close relative in either Europe or North America. So many Cape Verdeans, such as Antonia Delgado, receive money from those abroad. She raises her granddaughter’s son, who rarely sees his mother because she works in Portugal. Despite stricter immigration policies, many regard relocation as an opportunity. Teenagers like Stenio da Luz dos Reis pay $70 a month for tutoring and preparing for a test on Dutch language and culture, required in the Netherlands. Some analysts warn about costs with so much emigration: weakened family relationships, external political influence, increased inequality and over-reliance on remittances. Overall, migrants worldwide send billions home in remittances. The large sums encourage more dreams of migration, even as the target nations tighten borders and regulations. –YaleGlobal