By 2010 six million Colombians will have made new lives for themselves in other countries, claimed a study released on Tuesday.
Six million Colombians, a number exceeding the population of Paraguay, are expected to be living outside of Colombia by the end of this year according to a study presented by the agency Ibernet Media & Consultants.
The study showed that in December 2009, over 5.5 million Colombians had left their country, most of whom now reside in the United States and Spain, reported newspaper El Espectador.
Although New York remains the favorite destination for Colombian migrants, countries like Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador are increasingly popular, perhaps because the global economic crisis has made the U.S. a less attractive option.
Furthermore, though Colombians show interest in Canada, Australia and Northern Europe, in 2010 it is predicted that most Colombian migrants will select Latin American destinations as their new home.
Many Colombians decide to abandon their homeland for economic reasons, but many are forced to flee for reasons related Colombia’s internal armed conflict.