One year on: Ciudad Juárez tragedy spurs call to action

On the first anniversary of the devastating fire at a migrant detention centre in Ciudad Juárez, civil society groups are calling on the Mexican government to introduce urgent reforms to prevent the tragedy from ever occurring again.

The fire on 27 March 2023 – which claimed the lives of 40 people – has been a catalyst for scrutiny of Mexico’s immigration policies. Detainees from Central and South America were locked in their cell as flames engulfed the building.

An investigation by La Verdad, Lighthouse Reports and El Paso Matters uncovered significant safety lapses, including a nearly complete absence of functional fire extinguishers, inoperative smoke detectors and critical issues with overcrowding and inadequate ventilation. To date, there have been no convictions as a result of the tragedy, nor reparations made to the victims or their families.

While the National Migration Institute (INM) has promised new measures to improve safety across its facilities, these have yet to be seen. Meanwhile, civil society groups contend that fundamental reforms are needed to address the systemic issues within Mexico’s immigration detention system.

Mexico has long faced scrutiny over its reliance on detention as a means of managing migration.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the fire, IDC and the Action Group for the Non-Detention of Refugees issued a call to the Mexican government, demanding justice and reparations for the victims and their families. They also urge the Mexican Government to adopt alternatives to detention as a way to end immigration detention and to promote a safe and peaceful environment through status regularisation and strengthened host communities.

IDC stands alongside the group and other organisations that represent the victims and their families in condemning the detention of migrants as a disproportionate and costly response that endangers lives and criminalises individuals seeking refuge. We advocate for the adoption of alternatives to detention, in which people live freely in the community while their immigration case is being processed.

The anniversary of the Ciudad Juárez fire serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of current immigration policies. As Mexico continues to navigate its complex relationship with the United States and grapple with increasing migration pressures, the call for a shift towards more humane and effective migration management strategies grows louder.