Why this is an achievable goal for the incoming government
MEXICO
Mexico is a country that historically has a tradition of asylum. However, in recent years, migration policies have been characterised by a focus on containment rather than humanitarian reception and inclusion.
As a result of excessive militarisation and the focus on detention in immigration review and enforcement, several negative effects have been documented, such as misinformation, delay or lack of access to procedures for the recognition of refugee status and legitimate self-defense, as well as deprivation of liberty of people in vulnerable situations.
At the psychosocial level, people often feel anguish, uncertainty and fear as a result of the lack of information, lack of communication with their families or support networks, as well as the hopelessness caused by confinement, in addition to other effects on their physical health.
The new federal administration, headed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, has an opportunity to build a new migration policy with a rights-based approach that prioritises human security.
“I hadn’t done anything wrong, we were fleeing, but we didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t deserve to be there in that immigration station, which was worse than a prison. When I got out I even smiled again. Now my husband and I are refugees, we are calmer and we already have jobs.”
“Rebeca”, refugee woman, Mexico 2023.
Improvement opportunities include eliminating immigration detention, prohibiting deprivation of liberty for persons in need of international protection, and creating institutional guidelines for people seeking asylum, children and adolescents in migration, racialised persons, indigenous people, people with disabilities, pregnant women, gender diverse persons, and other populations at greater risk of vulnerability.
Another key opportunity is strengthening institutions that guarantee rights, such as the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), the National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents (SIPINNA), the Office of the Attorney General for the Protection of Children and Adolescents, the Ministry of Education, the National System for Comprehensive Family Development (SNDIF), the Ministry of Health, among others.
The new government has an opportunity to take firm steps towards eliminating immigration detention for people seeking asylum. One way forward is to promote the use of alternatives to detention that are respectful of rights, shifting the response to migration flows in favour of humanitarian reception and building welcoming communities, to mention a few possible paths.
IDC has developed a series of recommendations that we will present to the new government. In this way, we aim to promote collaboration towards building a new migration policy, together with other civil society organisations and networks, that puts migrants and refugees at the centre, and allows for the development of policies that prioritise human rights and long-term solutions.
