Thread: For Latin America workers in U.S. vital

For Latin America workers in U.S. vital
TEGUCIGALPA, Guatemala, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Legal and illegal immigrants to the United States are increasingly important to the economies of Latin America.

In 2005, Central and Latin American workers in the United States sent $52 billion in remittances back to their families.

According to new statistics, the volume of dollars transactions is rising. EFE news agency reports that emigrant Central Americans in 2005 sent a record $8.2 billion home, a 14.5 percent increase from the 2004 statistics, according to the region's central banks. Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras received more than $7.3 billion of the total cash flow. EFE news agency reported that in 2005 the Bank of Guatemala reported that the country received at least $2.99 billion, an amount equivalent to 10 percent of its gross domestic product.

Accordingly, the issue of immigration -- both legal and illegal -- is of great concern to the regional governments. On Jan. 9 the foreign ministers of Central America, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Colombia met in Mexico City and declared that U.S. immigrants "are not and must not be treated like criminals."

The International Organization for Migration estimates that 5.1 million Central Americans now reside in the United States, more than half of them illegally.

http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/vi ... 3536-2847r

Tegucigalpa is in Honduras not Guatemala