Abstract
Colombian migrants in Europe provide a good example of how the local-transnational political field functions, given the political rights they enjoy vis-à-vis the home and host countries. This chapter shows that participation in formal politics through the external vote and homeland political parties is low. However, this has to be understood in a context of political disaffection and distrust, as well as institutional barriers. Some migrants have a strong political capital and have continued participating from abroad, even if in different forms. In addition, often political engagement in home- and host-country politics is combined. Refugees display high levels of political activism, even if not always at the formal level, while participation can differ between men and women and according to education and class.
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Notes
- 1.
This Chamber allows for the election of five members as part of the circunscripciones especiales: two for indigenous communities, two for Afro-Colombians and one for Colombians abroad (circunscripción internacional). In 2014 the diaspora was allowed to elect two representatives, but this measure has been cancelled since.
- 2.
See articles 96, 171 and 176 of the 1991 Constitution (Constitución Política de Colombia de 1991, n.d.).
- 3.
See also data from Registraduría Nacional, http://www.registraduria.gov.co/, data accessed 31 March 2016.
- 4.
In general, voter turnout for the congressional elections tends to be lower.
- 5.
These include paid time off work, a reduction of military service, discounts when applying for official documentation and preference when accessing some public services or benefits, http://www.urnadecristal.gov.co/gestion-gobierno/certificado-electoral-beneficios, data accessed 20 April 2016.
- 6.
Information taken from the websites of Colombia’s Registraduría Nacional, embassies and consulates, and newspapers.
- 7.
See Footnote 5, plus the information offered by the Colombian consulate in Miami, http://miami.consulado.gov.co/newsroom/news/2014-02-25/6638, data accessed 20 April 2016.
- 8.
The questionnaires were conducted after the period for registration had closed and the first round of the presidential election had taken place on 15 June.
- 9.
Difficulties were the main reason in London, while lack of interest or disbelief dominated in the other cities.
- 10.
The 2010–2011 research project looking at the external vote of Colombians in Madrid and London was part of a larger, coordinated study that included the recollection of data inside Colombia as well as in other migrant destinations such as the USA and France (see appendix).
- 11.
Of the total 829 surveys carried out between the two cities, 415 represent ‘voters’ (those questioned outside polling stations on election day); of the 414 left (implemented before the legislative elections, and between these and the first round of the presidential poll), 64 per cent represent ‘non-voters’ (they expressed their intention not to vote).
- 12.
The first time, during the 2002 elections, the diaspora candidate was elected by a majority of votes from inside Colombia, since it was not until the 2006 poll that Congress changed the rules to allow only nationals abroad to vote for the circunscripción internacional. In 2006, the results were cancelled by the Constitutional Court (González, 2010, p.66-7). In the subsequent elections, as well as the low levels of participation, the choosing of a diaspora candidate was plagued by accusations of irregularities and discussions about how many representatives there should be.
- 13.
Information obtained from Votebien.com, a website offering independent electoral information to voters, http://www.terra.com.co/elecciones_2006/partidos/05-01-2006/nota270824.html, data accessed 26 July 2007.
- 14.
See: http://movimientomira.com/, data accessed 25 April 2016.
- 15.
See: http://www.amigosmira.es/, data accessed 25 April 2016.
- 16.
See: http://www.polodemocratico.net/Informe-del-Primer-Encuentro-del?var_recherche=exterior, data accessed 17 March 2007.
- 17.
See: http://www.polodemocratico.net/Encuentrodel-Polo-Democratico-en?var_recherche=exterior, data accessed 17 March 2007. Information obtained also during participant observation.
- 18.
See: http://www.polodemocratico.net/-Congreso-de-Unidad-, data accessed 16 July 2007.
- 19.
See: http://www.europaforolatino.com/t50-marie-nagy-candidata-ecolo-n-70-region-de-bruselas, data accessed 5 May 2016.
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Bermudez, A. (2016). Migrant Participation in Electoral Politics. In: International Migration, Transnational Politics and Conflict. Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53197-1_8
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