Mexico

Advocacy for Mexico

What’s Happening?

While Mexico’s asylum laws are generous, asylum seekers still face a broad range of challenges accessing safety and integration in Mexico. The United States also exerts a great deal of influence on Mexican migration policy, including pressuring Mexico to increase enforcement measures to keep asylum seekers away from the U.S. southern border and to accept removals of third country nationals to Mexico. Cutbacks on U.S. humanitarian aid and support for UNHCR and the Mexican asylum system has led to strain at Mexican shelters and service providers that remain open – and have increased the power of criminal gangs who target stranded asylum seekers in Mexico. At the same time, the increase in insecurity in many parts of Mexico makes it impossible or difficult for increasing numbers of Mexicans deported from the United States to return to their home regions.

What Must Be Done?

Refugees International is urging the government of Mexico to continue to invest in its protection system and improve the ability of asylum seekers and refugees to gain access to work and services, especially through access to regularization and engagement with the private sector. It also recommends Mexico increase support for vulnerable Mexicans deported from the United States and engage with civil society to oppose U.S. inhumane detention and externalization policies affecting Mexican and third country nationals alike.