The human right to migrate in Latin American legal systems

REVISTA CHILENA DE DERECHO. VOL. 49 Nº2 (2022)

Mayra Feddersen

Tomás Pascual

Macarena Rodríguez-Atero

This study aims to unravel the legal meaning of the human right to migrate, through a critical review of the political philosophy, the jurisprudence of the international human rights system and its materialization in the internal regulations of 19 Latin American countries. The analysis carried out allows us to maintain that nonnationals do not have a right to enter the country of choice. Although 8 countries expressly enshrine it, this has not given rise to free mobility. Indeed, all countries maintain broad entry prohibitions, based on the protection of national security, social order and compliance with immigration regula-tions. Notwithstanding, the human right to migrate has meant that 11 of the 19 countries have established some type of procedure to make decisions at the border, limiting their discretion and adapting their actions to current international human rights standards social y el cumplimiento de la normativa migratoria. Ahora bien, el derecho humano a migrar ha significado que 11 de los 19 países hayan establecido algún tipo de procedimiento para adoptar decisiones en frontera, poniendo límites a su discrecionalidad y adecuándose a los estándares internacionales de derechos humanos vigentes.