Immigrants who once wired money from home are asking for remittances to stay afloat in the US

October 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Remittances from Indian migrant workers, which are about 1.5 times more than the total foreign investments in the country, have far-reaching benefits such as pushing up school enrolment, according to a United Nations report. Additionally, remittances help reduce fertility and empower women, said the Human Development Report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme, released globally Monday.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India, China and Mexico retain their positions as the top recipients of migrant remittances among developing countries, said the World Bank Tuesday. As per official estimates, India has the largest diaspora of 25 million spread over 136 countries.

July 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The worldwide recession has led immigrants in wealthy countries to cut back sharply on how much money they send back to their home countries, according to a World Bank report released Monday. Remittances to developing countries jumped 15 percent in 2008 to $328 billion, but will plummet 7.3 percent in 2009, the World Bank predicted, revising its earlier forecast of a 5-percent decline this year.

July 8th, 2009 Audit finds states using stimulus to stay afloatWASHINGTON — The Obama administration hoped spending $787 billion in stimulus would jump-start the economy, build new schools and usher in an era of education reform. But government auditors say many states are setting aside such grand plans and simply trying to stay afloat.

June 30th, 2009 Immigrants in US are asking for money from homeFAIRVIEW, N.J. — For five years, immigrant day laborer Leo Chamale wired money twice a month from New Jersey to his family in Guatemala.

June 24th, 2009 SF DA defends program training illegal immigrantsSAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco's district attorney is defending a city-led job program for first-time drug offenders that has included at least six illegal immigrants. The program came under fire after the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that immigrants who didn't have authorization were included.

June 22nd, 2009 3 arrested after Texas immigrant standoffMcALLEN, Texas — Armed men who allegedly held 12 suspected illegal immigrants in a Brownsville house for several days while trying to get money from their relatives were arrested Monday after a three-hour standoff with police. Ten men from Mexico and two women from El Salvador were turned over to U.S.

June 9th, 2009 Meltdown 101: Cash to Mexico and the US economyEL PASO, Texas — With the economy struggling through the longest recession since the Great Depression, the steady flow of dollars that immigrants send back to Mexico has also taken a serious hit. Mexico's central bank, which tracks money sent to the country by Mexicans living abroad, announced last month that these "remittances" had dropped by more than 18 percent in the past year, from $2.19 billion in April 2008 to $1.78 billion this April.

June 9th, 2009 34 illegal immigrants found in Phoenix drop housePHOENIX — Authorities say they have busted the third drop house for illegal immigrants found in the Phoenix area in the last few days. Officer Robert Bailey with the Arizona Department of Public Safety says the third house was raided Monday.

June 1st, 2009 Mexico remittances plunge in worst fall on recordMEXICO CITY — Money sent home by Mexicans living abroad plunged in April by more than 18 percent compared to the same period last year, the biggest monthly fall on record, the central bank said Monday. Remittances fell to $1.7 billion in April 2009 compared to $2.1 billion in April 2008, according to the bank.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - A new survey by the London School of Economics claims that Britain is home to three-quarters of a million illegal immigrants. The Government has refused to estimate the number of illegals it has allowed into the UK since 2005.

March 1st, 2009 The economic crisis in the United States and Britain is reportedly forcing many NRIs to dip into their savings and assets back home. Due to job losses, default of mortgage payments and losses in their businesses, some NRIs are cashing their foreign currency demand deposits in India to stay afloat.

February 17th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac Wednesday hinted that his budget, to be presented Friday, would have some special offers for the large number of NRIs, who are returning home after losing their jobs due to the economic slowdown. 'The situation in the Middle East is such that by June this year more than 200,000 people will return.

February 5th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday asked the central government to help the large number of the state's diaspora who have lost their jobs in the Middle East.

January 16th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac Saturday said the state is soon going to feel the heat of the economic slowdown as remittances from abroad are certain to fall in the coming months. 'It is going to be a tough time on account of the fall in remittances which incidentally have been keeping the state afloat for several years,' Isaac told reporters after the meeting of the Kerala State Planning Board here.