North–South migrations and the asymmetric expulsions of late capitalism: Global inequality, arbitrage, and new dynamics of North–South transnationalism

Abstract

The last decade has witnessed the rise of North–South migration, often motivated by the increase in unemployment and financial insecurity in developed countries in the Global North. This article compares two such migrant populations in relation to one another: the lifestyle or retirement migration of North Americans, and the labour migration of skilled workers from Spain—both to destinations in Ecuador. These North–South migrations illustrate new logics of privileged transnationalism and illustrate the coloniality of contemporary regimes of mobility. The article draws on research results from two separate studies using similar forms of semi-structured qualitative interviews. North–South migrations at different phases of the life cycle demonstrate a systemic edge between late capitalist inclusion and expulsion, marked by asymmetries that reflect global inequalities. The decline of the institutions that favoured social inclusion, helped produce North–South migrations that unevenly affects the lives of people living in developing countries.