Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3210-3207

Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

12-2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

International Relations

Reader 1

Professor Jean Pierre Murray

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

2024 Guadalupe Loza-Mendez

Abstract

The consequences of weaponizing deportations reshape human security in countries receiving high levels of forcibly returned migrants. Through a comparative case study, this thesis examines how different forms of organized crime — cartels in México and gangs in El Salvador — interact with and capitalize on returnee populations. While the origins and manifestations of organized crime differ between México and El Salvador, both demonstrate clear linkages between forced return migration from destination countries and declining human security in countries of origin through three key mechanisms: imported criminal structures, targeted recruitment of vulnerable returnees, and trickle-down effects on local communities.

Many state-led reintegration efforts are frequently weakened by placement of reception centers in high-crime areas, limited follow-up services, and insufficient economic opportunities for returnees. Specifically, young male returnees with limited native language skills and those with criminal records face heightened risks of recruitment by criminal organizations. This thesis ultimately argues that deportation as a migration control mechanism generates paradoxical consequences that subverts both human security and migration management goals. By examining reintegration strategies in México and El Salvador, I propose targeted interventions that prioritize preventing recruitment into criminal networks while acknowledging origin countries' capacity constraints. These recommendations emphasize the need for differentiated services based on length of residency in the destination country language abilities, and criminal history.

Share

COinS