Sanctions Impact on Immigration - A Case Study of Venezuela and Iran

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Lambrecht, Gabriella
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Maggie Shum, Thesis Supervisor
Robert W. Speel, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
immigration
sanctions
humanitarian crisis
oil sector
Abstract:
Immigration, and the causes of immigration, are a large issue in today’s interconnected global society. While many other avenues of causes of immigration have been researched, namely government type, internal factors, and climate migration, this research seeks to examine the economic causes that could impact the immigration from an origin country. Namely, this research will focus on the impact of sanctions and its ties to immigration, by investigating the correlation between sectoral and blanket sanctions and humanitarian crises, and the latter’s correlation to immigration. Specifically, the research will be conducted by studying Venezuela under the Chavez and Maduro regimes. Research into Venezuela’s oil sector and humanitarian crisis seeks to understand both sectoral and blanket sanctions, respectively, and their connection to the 2014 and 2015 Venezuela Refugee Crisis, one of the largest migration movements in history. Following this, research into Iran, the sanctions placed upon it post-1990, the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and Iranian immigration will be researched to establish a global pattern. This research can subsequently be generalized to determine the effects sectoral and blanket sanctions have on immigration on a global scale. Ultimately, this research seeks to understand the way sanction policies impact target countries’ immigration, thus impacting the sanctioning country.