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WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MEXICO?

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WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MEXICO?

An overview of the situation for people on the move





TEXT AND PHOTOS: MAYELA MOLINA
PUBLISHED: 20 DECEMBER 2024

Refugees and migrants entering Mexican territory after crossing the Suchiate
River from Guatemala.

Refugees and migrants entering Mexican territory after crossing the Suchiate
River from Guatemala.

In recent years Mexico has increasingly become a country of origin, transit and
destination for migrants and refugees.

Between January and August 2024, the Mexican authorities reported more than
900,000 instances of people in an irregular migration situation in Mexico,
meaning they entered the country without a visa or other document authorising
their entry or stay.

Refugees and migrants waiting for the train to proceed to northern Mexico.

The country also ranked among the top five recipients of asylum claims globally.

In addition, it is estimated that between 2006 and the end of 2022, more than
386,000 people were forced to flee within Mexico itself due to violence.



Refugees and migrants waiting for the train to proceed to northern Mexico.

Refugees and migrants waiting for the train to proceed to northern Mexico.



Mexico has long been a country of both origin and transit for displaced people,
meaning that people are either looking to leave the country or are passing
through on the way to somewhere else (typically the United States). But in
recent years, it has also become a country of destination for people in need of
international protection. In 2023, 140,000 people applied for asylum in Mexico.

Although the number of applications decreased in 2024, the presence of displaced
people in the country remains significant. UPMRIP figures from January to August
2024 show a 132 per cent increase in instances of people in an irregular
migration situation compared to the same period in 2023.


VIOLENCE IS DRIVING DISPLACEMENT

More than half of the people in transit through Mexico identify violence as the
main reason for their displacement. Almost two thirds say their life, safety or
freedom would be at risk if they returned to their country of origin, according
to the UN Refugee Agency’s 2023 protection monitoring.

> “I saw many deaths, rapes and kidnappings ... I can't go back to my country
> because those who threatened me will find me.”
> Flor, asylum seeker in Coatzacoalcos

People seeking refuge in Mexico flee their countries due to complex situations,
such as threats from gangs or organised crime, human rights violations,
gender-based violence or extreme poverty. Many see Mexico as a place where they
can rebuild their life and realise their dreams.

“I left Venezuela because they were extorting me and threatening to harm my
daughter,” explains Flor, an asylum seeker in Coatzacoalcos, southern Mexico.

“I went through the [Darien] jungle, I came out of the jungle sick. I saw many
deaths, rapes and kidnappings. I saw a woman who was raped in front of her
husband. I want to get to Mexico City, I don't want to go to the United States
anymore. I can't go back to my country because those who threatened me will find
me.”

Many of the people in transit and the refugees in Mexico are Venezuelan. In the
first quarter of 2024, one in four were Venezuelan nationals, while 30 per cent
were citizens of Honduras, Guatemala or Ecuador, according to the International
Organization for Migration (IOM).

Although most of the arrivals are from Latin American countries, including
Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti as well as Venezuela, there are
also people from as far afield as Afghanistan, China, India, Angola, Ghana and
more than 100 other countries. Mexico is a meeting point for displaced people
from all over the world.



Hostel in Veracruz.

Hostel in Veracruz.


DANGEROUS JOURNEYS

Father Juan Luis Carbajal, director of the Casa del Migrante in Iztapalapa and
Ecatepec in the state of Mexico, explains that many people face dangerous routes
from their country of origin to get to and through Mexico. Such journeys would
be only undertaken out of necessity: "Who trades their home for a backpack?” he
asks.

Esther and her family are a typical example. They traded their home and life in
their country for a backpack and the risks of an uncertain journey.

“I came from Honduras because my son was threatened [by gangs],” says Esther.

“And they threatened me too, they beat me. I came because I was afraid, because
they threatened me not to call the police. They told me that if I spoke out they
were going to kill me, my son and the child. So, to prevent them from hurting my
children, I had no choice but to come here.”

> “The original goal was to go to the United States, but I am now seeking asylum
> in Mexico.”
> Raúl, asylum seeker in Coatzacoalcos

Esther's story is repeated by thousands of others. So much so that the high
demand for refugee applications has put the Mexican Commission for Refugee
Assistance (COMAR) to the test. COMAR has quadrupled its processing capacity
since 2018, from four to 13 offices across the country, while also introducing
measures to integrate refugees within host communities. Still, it faces
financial and operational challenges in providing a comprehensive response.

“We can't go back to Honduras. There are threats, extortion, robbery. They
threatened me and killed my son. Since then, we have not lived in peace. The
original goal was to go to the United States, but I am now seeking asylum in
Mexico,” says Raúl, 50, an asylum seeker in Coatzacoalcos.



Many refugees and migrants, including children, remain in makeshift camps in
Mexico City.

Many refugees and migrants, including children, remain in makeshift camps in
Mexico City.


THE GREAT WAITING ROOM OF THE WORLD

Of the people from all over the world who enter Mexico irregularly, some stay in
the country, but many others hope to continue the United States.

In January 2023, the United States launched the CBP One app as a requirement for
regular entry from Mexican territory. Once in the US, if allowed entry,
individuals can apply for asylum via the app. To obtain an appointment, they
must wait in Mexico, in some cases for more than seven months, often in the
capital.

As a result, thousands of refugees and migrants waiting to enter the United
States on a regular basis are living on the streets, in overcrowded shelters run
by organisations and churches, or in makeshift camps. This increases their
vulnerability, especially for women, pregnant women and children.

> They have no access to even the most basic services and are exposed to all
> kinds of dangers.

There is no official record of how many people are in this situation but, for
example, the former church of La Soledad in the heart of Mexico City feeds an
average of 800 people daily who wait in a makeshift camp in the square across
the street. The church, which helps refugees and migrants through donations and
volunteering, also provides shower facilities.

For these children, women and men, the church is their only support. At night,
they sleep in the open, protected only by tents they have erected themselves.
They have no access to even the most basic services and are exposed to all kinds
of dangers. During the day, some go out to work looking to earn what they can to
sustain themselves and their families.



The church of La Soledad in Mexico City feeds 800 people daily. Many of them
live in a makeshift camp in front of the church.

The church of La Soledad in Mexico City feeds 800 people daily. Many of them
live in a makeshift camp in front of the church.


A COMPLICATED PROCESS

Using the CBP One app can be very complicated due to language and technological
barriers. This decreases the chances of getting an opportunity, so for many the
wait becomes very long.

Enrique, 40, is a cook by profession, and is originally from Venezuela. He has
found a temporary home in the shelter run by Father Carbajal while he waits for
his appointment. Every day, at the same time, he and the other shelter residents
log on to the app, hoping to get an appointment. There is nothing more he and
his companions can do to speed up the process.

Ana, a Honduran mother of three, pregnant with her fourth child, has been in
Mexico for nine months. She and her family were stranded in Tapachula, a city
close to the Guatemalan border, but wanted to move further north to apply for
asylum in the United States because they did not feel safe.



Enrique cooks at the shelter where he lives while he waits for an appointment
through CBP One.

Enrique cooks at the shelter where he lives while he waits for an appointment
through CBP One.

They arrived in Mexico City and are now in the same shelter as Enrique, trying
every day to book an appointment on the app. They fled Honduras because their
eldest son is reaching adolescence, and the gangs wanted to recruit him. Ana
can't imagine what would happen to her and her family if they had to return to
their country.

> More than 80 per cent of the people surveyed had been victims of violence
> along the route.

Many refugees and migrants face frequent detentions by authorities throughout
Mexico. Ana and her family were detained and turned back towards southern Mexico
on six occasions in their quest to reach Mexico City.

Refugees and migrants suffer extortion, physical violence, robbery and abuse.
NRC's protection monitoring carried out in Coahuila and Veracruz between October
and November 2024 revealed that more than 80 per cent of the people surveyed had
been victims of violence along the route.




THE NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL IN MEXICO

NRC started its work in Mexico in 2023. We currently have offices in Mexico
City, Veracruz and Coahuila states. In Tapachula we work through the Fray Matías
de Córdova Human Rights Centre as an implementing partner. So far, we have
focused on legal services and protection programmes designed to support the most
vulnerable refugees and migrants.

Following the needs and priorities of displaced people in Mexico, NRC has
started working on integration issues. We support people to obtain
documentation, and build partnerships with the private sector to refer them to
formal employment. In 2025, we will launch a new livelihoods programme in
Veracruz and Mexico City.

We are also coordinating efforts with other organisations to obtain more
accurate data on forced internal displacement in Mexico.



> “NRC helped me to get refugee documentation in Mexico and to get welfare
> services from the Mexican government. I tried three times to get to the United
> States. I was doing well in my country, with a good business, but I can't go
> back. They caught me and that was it.”
> Honduran NRC participant in Coatzacoalcos






The names and other details of the people interviewed for this article have been
changed to protect their identity.

NRC is grateful for the support of the Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights
Centre in obtaining some of these testimonies.

Read more about our work in Mexico

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Support our work


Albergue en Veracruz.

Albergue en Veracruz.

La iglesia de La Soledad, ubicada en el centro de Ciudad de México, brinda ayuda
a cientos de refugiados y migrantes de todas partes del mundo.

La iglesia de La Soledad, ubicada en el centro de Ciudad de México, brinda ayuda
a cientos de refugiados y migrantes de todas partes del mundo.

Personas refugiadas y migrantes cruzando el río Suchiate para llegar desde
Guatemala a Tapachula, México.

Personas refugiadas y migrantes cruzando el río Suchiate para llegar desde
Guatemala a Tapachula, México.

Mural en el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova.

Mural en el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova.

NRC brinda información legal y de protección a personas refugiadas y migrantes
en Veracruz.

NRC brinda información legal y de protección a personas refugiadas y migrantes
en Veracruz.

El gobierno de México registró 108,444 eventos de personas en situación
migratoria irregular menores de 17 años.

El gobierno de México registró 108,444 eventos de personas en situación
migratoria irregular menores de 17 años.

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Item 1 of 6


Albergue en Veracruz.

Albergue en Veracruz.

La iglesia de La Soledad, ubicada en el centro de Ciudad de México, brinda ayuda
a cientos de refugiados y migrantes de todas partes del mundo.

La iglesia de La Soledad, ubicada en el centro de Ciudad de México, brinda ayuda
a cientos de refugiados y migrantes de todas partes del mundo.

Personas refugiadas y migrantes cruzando el río Suchiate para llegar desde
Guatemala a Tapachula, México.

Personas refugiadas y migrantes cruzando el río Suchiate para llegar desde
Guatemala a Tapachula, México.

Mural en el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova.

Mural en el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matías de Córdova.

NRC brinda información legal y de protección a personas refugiadas y migrantes
en Veracruz.

NRC brinda información legal y de protección a personas refugiadas y migrantes
en Veracruz.

El gobierno de México registró 108,444 eventos de personas en situación
migratoria irregular menores de 17 años.

El gobierno de México registró 108,444 eventos de personas en situación
migratoria irregular menores de 17 años.