Immigration to the Republic of Honduras is a complex demographic phenomenon that has been an important source of population growth and cultural change through the centuries throughout much of Honduran history. In the ten months to October 2022, about 120,000 migrants passed through Honduras, most of them being irregular. [1]
The history of immigration in Honduras is given as a continuation of the Spanish colonization of the American continent. Each period brought different national and ethnic groups from the Iberian peninsula. The first spaniards who arrived and settle in Honduran soil where Extremadurans and Andalucians. On the later fifteenth century more Spanish arrived to New Spain, followed by Africans, most of them slaves. In 1797 the Garifunas were expelled by the English from the island of San Vicente, to the nearby islands from Roatán and Trujillo. [2]
In the fifteenth century, Spanish citizens declared themselves in favor of moving to new lands to colonize them; then during the reign of Carlos of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire ordered the Organization of the Hispanic Monarchy in 1522 and two years later (1524) the Council of the Indies was founded and it was also during his reign that his territories were extended in America , Honduras (Hibueras or Comayagua) in those times was one more property of the Spanish Monarchy. In the same way, as so many Spaniards arrived, so did the French, English, Italians, Germans, etc.
Honduras obtains independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and from the first Mexican empire in 1823, forming part of the Central American Federation. Honduras would finally separate from this Union in 1838, beginning its history as an independent nation. During this decade the greatest migration would be Spaniards, mainly from Catalonia.
In 1875 the so-called liberal reform would take place at the hands of the liberal president Dr. Marco Aurelio Soto. It would assist and initiate the flooding of waves of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. [3] This was under the excuse to increase the Honduran Economy and taking immigration policies similar to the US ones. [4] [5]
Later, during the government of General Luis Bográn, a descendant of french immigrants, a great importance was given to immigration so that it populates the national territory and promotes both work and the exploitation of natural resources, what Honduras offered to foreigners was equal treatment. cordial, security and above all hand over the Honduran nationality. At the end of the 19th century, the presence of US comapanies in Honduras was already making itself felt, so during the late 19th century and early 20th century, there was a steady stream of American migration for various reasons. Some were to work as officials in fruit or mining companies, as salaried workers, or for mere exoticism since the Honduran coast has always been a tourist attraction. [6] [7]
By the 1930s, the Arab community was the strongest economically immigrant group due to the undertakings of various textile or coffee businesses. Sinmarbergo in the 40s the German community in Hoduras suffered a lot because at that time Honduras had entered the conflict in 1941, which caused the expropriation of German businesses throughout the country. However, from the 50s onwards, Honduras would again maintain bilateral relations with Germany.
During the 1960s, a good portion of the Honduran population were Salvadoran immigrants and their children who, due to the limited space in El Salvador, sought to continue farming in Honduras. However, it was for this reason that the government of Oswaldo Lopez Arellano used them as a scapegoat for the economic downturn that Honduras experienced in the late 60s. This provoked the 100-day war in which several Salvadoran families were forcibly displaced from the country. However, Honduras and El Salvador would once again have agreements where the latter would accept open borders with its neighboring nation. The internal migration of Central Americans would continue to be seen as a result of the Cold War due to the conflict called The Central American crisis, being the largest group of these Nicaraguans.
Honduras currently receives many irregular immigrants to its territory since it is a natural bridge between North and South America, many of them seek to go to the United States or Canada. In 2013, the census of foreigners in Honduran was 29,000 people. [8] However, this statistics would drastically change at the end of the 2010s, given that in 2022 nearly 178,300 immigrants were registered in its territory. [9]
By 2023, the amount of irregular immigrants in Honduras more than tripled, with over 416,000 arrivals reported by october. Primarily coming from countries like Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Ecuador, most of these migrants use Honduras as a transit point to get to the United states. [10]
Below is a table that adds the total number of both regular and irregular immigrants together with the estimated number of their descendants who have been living on Honduran soil for at least two generations by nationality. However, the figures may change since in the case of irregular immigrants such as Venezuelans, Haitians, and Cubans, they do not stay long in the country, since they seek to move to other destinations and their number varies by season. The sum of the statistics for 2022 indicates the followingː
| Country | Number of Immigrants (2022) |
 Palestine | 280,000 |
 Venezuela | 44,000 [11] |
 United States | 21,908 |
 Lebanon | 20,000 |
 Italy | 14,166 |
 Cuba | 14,687 |
 El Salvador | 8,995 |
 Nicaragua | 7,891 |
 China | 6,800 [12] |
 France | 5,953 [13] |
 Guatemala | 4,681 |
 Haiti | 3,500 |
 Spain | 3,421 |
 Mexico | 1.592 |
 Colombia | 881 |
 Costa Rica | 874 |
 Ecuador | 468 |
 Panama | 404 |
 Peru | 390 |
 Israel | 390 |
 Belize | 370 |
 Japan | 141 |
Many people emigrated to Honduras for various reasons over the centuries. Much of the immigrants who arrived in Honduras after the liberal reform mixed with the mostly Mestizo Honduran population.
The spanish settlers were the first european immigrants to arrive in Honduras, after the discovery of America, when the colony of the Spanish monarchy was established in the new continent. With the passage of time, the citizens who came to what is currently the Republic of Honduras were of more nationalities, many of them French, Italian, British, and German.
A large proportion of European immigrants to Honduras were Ashkenazi Jews fleeing antisemitism in Europe, mostly coming from the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Russian Empire. [14]
Arab immigration in Honduras begins to be noticed in the 19th century, but it became more frequent in the first decade of the 20th century, due to the crisis of the Ottoman Empire and then the First World War.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Arabs have been a force in the Honduran economy and politics. Currently the strongest community is the Palestinian one, with more than 280,000 descendants and 20,000 Lebanese, they represent three percent of the population of a country and lead the economy in the country. They are the second concentration of Palestinians in the American continent, only Chile has a larger palestinian population than Honduras. [15]
In 1886 the United States issued an order for the expulsion of Chinese from states including California, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, due to racist riots and the payment of a tax for each Chinese over 18 years of age. Chinese immigration sought refuge by spreading out among the former colonies of the Spanish Empire, from Mexico to South America, Honduras being an attractive destination for Chinese people opening many businesses such as restaurants. See the article in Spanish Wikipedia.
Honduras has also smaller east Asian communities such as the Japanese-Hondurans; at least 141 Japanese people have Honduran nationality.
Central Americans are the largest group of immigrants to Honduras. The majority, mostly Salvadorans, migrate for labor reasons. [16] Currently[ when? ] there are around 23,395 Central Americans of Honduran nationality from all the countries that make up the region.
Immigration of American citizens from the US to the Republic of Honduras, the first great migration was given by the citizens of the States declared Confederates of the South who did not recognize the Constitution or President Abraham Lincoln. for which the first wave of migration began towards the north (Canada) and west of North America, towards Mexico, the Caribbean and to a lesser extent towards Central America. [17] [18]
The actions of US investors in Honduras began with the Rosario Mining Company founded by the businessman Washington S. Valentine, then the Vaccaro Bros. founded the United Fruit Company, followed by the Standard Fruit Company, the US Bank J.P. Morgan in 1911 took charge of the Honduran debt contracted with the British and during the administration of Manuel Bonilla, businessman Samuel Zemurray founded the Cuyamel Fruit Company, with great benefits granted by the Honduran government. The new Honduran Immigration Laws, issued in the administration of Vicente Mejía Colindres and later that of Tiburcio Carías Andino, allowed a greater influx of American immigrants to the Central American country.
It could be said that the presence of original people from what is now called Mexico in Honduran dream could go back to the flows of Nahua groups that migrated to Central America. But it is estimated that the first Mexicans established on Hoduran soil as immigrants dated back to colonial times. Currently there are more than 1,592 Mexicans who have obtained Honduran citizenship. [19]
José Cecilio Díaz del Valle was a philosopher, politician, lawyer, and journalist and one of the most important figures in Central America during the transition from colonial government to independence, displaying a wide-ranging expertise in public administration management.
El Paraíso is one of the 18 departments (departamentos) into which Honduras is divided.
Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early 16th century, with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Today, millions of their descendants still live in Mexico and can be found working in different professions and industries.
White Latin Americans or European Latin Americans are Latin Americans of European descent.
Immigration to Spain increased significantly in the beginning of the 21st century. In 1998, immigrants accounted for 1.6% of the population, and by 2009, that number had risen to over 12%. Until 2014, the numbers were decreasing due to the economic crisis, but since 2015, immigration to Spain has increased again, especially after 2021.
European emigration is the successive emigration waves from the European continent to other continents. The origins of the various European diasporas can be traced to the people who left the European nation states or stateless ethnic communities on the European continent.
Illegal immigration in Mexico has occurred at various times throughout history, especially in the 1830s and since the 1970s. Although the number of deportations is declining with 61,034 registered cases in 2011, the Mexican government documented over 200,000 illegal border crossings in 2004 and 2005. The largest source of illegal immigrants in Mexico are the impoverished Central American countries of Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador and African countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria. The largest single group of immigrants in Mexico is from the United States, at 1.5 million, many of whom overstay their visas. Americans are the largest group of immigrants in Mexico. They number 1.5 million, many of them being without legal status since they overstayed their visas.
Honduras recognized Palestine in 2011, a move in sharp contrast to a long-lasting legacy of close links between successive Honduran governments and Israel.
Honduras–Mexico relations are the diplomatic relations between Honduras and Mexico. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States and the United Nations.
At the 2011 census, the number of immigrants in Costa Rica totaled about 390,000 individuals, or about 9% of the country's population. Following a considerable drop from 1950 through 1980, immigration to Costa Rica has increased in recent decades.
Argentina Díaz Lozano was the pseudonym for the Honduran writer Argentina Bueso Mejía. She was a journalist and novelist, who wrote in the romantic style with feminist themes. She won numerous awards for her books, including the Golden Quetzel from Guatemala, the Honduran National Literature Prize Ramón Rosa" and the "Order Cruzeiro do Sud" from Brazil. She was admitted to the Academia Hondureña de la Lengua and is the only Central American woman whose work has officially contended for a Nobel Prize for Literature.
Honduras has a large Spanish community, distributed throughout the country. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Spain, 2,888 Spanish citizens live in Honduras as of 2017.
United States citizens have emigrated to the Republic of Honduras (1821) for many reasons including agriculture, mining endeavours, business, military service and missionary work. In the last two centuries, the United States has developed many interests in Honduras. These have included banana farming and mining of gold and silver. Honduras also represents a route to the isthmus between North and South America and the Panama Canal. The United States has deployed armed forces to Honduras on numerous occasions to protect these interests. In geopolitical terms, Honduras has represented a bulwark against socialist forces in Central America and has a permanent United States military presence. Honduras has also received United States foreign aid. All of these factors have led to a gradual increase over many decades of American immigrants to Honduras.
Arab immigration to the Republic of Honduras began in the 19th century with the liberal reforms of President Marco Aurelio Soto (1876–1883), who saw immigration as a determining factor in the development of capitalism in Central America, and sought to establish an attractive environment for foreign investment. The largest Arab community in Honduras is the people of Palestinian descent, the majority of whom (95%) are Christian. The approximate population of Honduran Arabs is more than 300,000 people, arround 280,000 Palestinians and 20,000 Lebanese, estimates place the Muslim population at about 11,000.
Honduras–Spain relations are the diplomatic relations between Honduras and Spain. Both nations are members of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language and the Organization of Ibero-American States.
Nicaraguan nationality law is regulated by the Constitution, the General Law for Migration and Foreigners, Law No. 761 and relevant treaties to which Nicaragua is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a citizen of Nicaragua. The legal means to acquire nationality and formal membership in a nation differ from the relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Nicaraguan nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Nicaragua; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to a parent with Nicaraguan nationality. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization or for a foreigner who has provided exceptional service to the nation.
Salvadoran nationality law is regulated by the Constitution; the Legislative Decree 2772, commonly known as the 1933 Law on Migration, and its revisions; and the 1986 Law on Foreigner Issues. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a citizen of El Salvador. The legal means to acquire nationality and formal membership in a nation differ from the relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Salvadoran nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in El Salvador; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to a parent with Salvadoran nationality. It can also be granted to a citizen of any Central American state, or a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.
Honduran nationality law is regulated by the Constitution, the Migration and Aliens Act, the 2014 Law on Protection of Honduran Migrants and their Families and relevant treaties to which Honduras is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a citizen of Honduras. The legal means to acquire nationality and formal membership in a nation differ from the relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Honduran nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Honduras; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to a parent with Honduran nationality. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.
The Republic of Honduras declared war on the Empire of Japan on December 8, 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and then also declared war on Nazi Germany and fascist Italy on December 12 of the same year. Although its support for the Allies during World War II was active between 1942 and 1945, the Honduran contribution to war efforts would be mainly logistics and intelligence, although it did come to face a German submarine in 1942.
As of January 2021, there are 2,480,373 South Americans in Spain and 624,034 Central American or Caribbean people in Spain. Flows of migration have been dependent on the economic conditions in their countries of birth and in Spain.