This is a trend we covered earlier this year, though it doesn’t draw all that much attention in the mainstream media. And yet, it’s still going on and apparently accelerating. Most of the MSM doesn’t even want to talk about the disaster on the southern border where illegal migrants are streaming into the United States in numbers never seen for as long as we’ve been keeping records. But at the same time, there is a smaller stream of Americans packing their bags and relocating to Mexico. (Of course, the vast majority are doing it legally.) According to figures released by the Mexican Interior Ministry, we have now set a new record for Americans arriving south of the border and applying for temporary resident visas, with more than 8,000 doing so in 2022. And as usual, most of them are coming from California. (NY Post)
A record number of Americans are crossing the southern border — to live in Mexico, according to a new report.
More than 8,000 US citizens were issued temporary resident visas to live in Mexico in the first nine months of the year, an 85% increase over the same period in 2019, Mexico’s Interior Ministry said, according to the Mexico News Daily.
That’s the highest reverse migration figure since the statistics were first compiled in 2010, the outlet reported.
Sadly, this isn’t going to work out to any sort of even trade to balance the population shift. We’re talking about 8,000 people leaving over an eleven-month period. The number of illegal migrants coming over in the same direction during the same period is literally measured in the millions (plural). And you can’t really even get too excited about the idea of a bunch of Californians departing because those were almost certainly the smart Californians with a decent amount of common sense.
It makes sense, of course. California’s cost of living is insane, the taxes are through the roof, and they’re rapidly running out of potable water. Yes, there is a crime problem in Mexico where the drug cartels run significant parts of the country, but look at the crime rates in Los Angeles and other major population centers. With the constant stream of humanity coming here in the other direction, if you live near the border it’s already kind of like living in Mexico anyway, so why not?
So where are most of these Americans heading to look for new homes? Perhaps surprisingly, not many of them are sticking around near the border in places like Tijuana and commuting back and forth to California. Nor are many of them heading to the very expensive resort areas such as Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. The largest percentage is going to Mexico City.
That may seem like a curious choice. The most recent published crime rate for Mexico City was more than 45,000 violent crimes or property crimes per 100,000 people. That’s a very high crime rate by any standard and the State Department has a standing travel advisory for Americans visiting Mexico City just for that reason. But then again, as I already said, if you’re going there from Los Angeles, is it really all that different? Plus, the cost of living is a lot lower.
For their part, the Mexican government and the municipal government of Mexico City seem to believe they’re getting the better end of the deal. And it’s hard to argue with that assessment. The Mayor of Mexico City recently announced a deal with Airbnb to increase temporary or transitional housing options, bringing more money into the area. Plus, unlike the hoards of migrants pouring north over the border, Mexico requires incoming foreigners to meet certain income requirements and show proof of employment and or sponsorship by prospective employers and family connections to the region. They aren’t taking in a bunch of homeless people demanding resources or potential gang bangers. (They have plenty of those of their own.) They’re getting productive immigrants who will grow their economy.
Let’s ask ourselves one question as we consider this latest report. Let’s just say that you’re living in what is arguably one of the greatest superpowers on the planet with one of the largest and most vibrant economies in the world. It’s essentially the definition of a first-world nation. How bad do things have to get before you start thinking that your quality of life might be better if you packed up your family and moved to Mexico City?
It’s too bad there’s no way to put that on the ballot for tomorrow. We regularly poll American voters to see if they believe the country is heading in the “right direction” or the “wrong direction.” But now we’ve found a subset who have opted for a different direction entirely. That would be south of the border.
