Migrants At Risk While Passing Through Mexico

The coordinator of the National Regeneration Movement (MURRENA) in the Senate, Ricardo Monreal, alleged that insecurity as well as extortion by the authorities; But above all, the presence of organized crime in important areas of the country has prevented many Mexican expatriates living in the United States from returning to the country to visit their relatives during these December holidays. Monreal Avila announced that migrants returning to Mexico from the United States have expressed their concerns about organized crime, in addition to fear of being illegally detained or subjected to extortion. Many of our compatriots who live in the US, he said, did not come to Mexico because of this concern, "but I am sure we are going to solve it," he said.

However, the senator expressed hope that peace would soon return to the country currently battling insecurity and organized crime. In a message on the network, Monreal assured that all together, in unity, we will regain peace and tranquility, so that those who return to their original town, ejido or community, freely with full protection from the state Let's do this. Recently, the senator met with members of a collective of Mexican expatriate associations and organizations, which brings together more than 75 organizations from different regions of the United States.

In that meeting, he stressed that it is necessary to promote concerted security actions for the safety of migrants on every highway and sector, so that either they reach their destination safely or so that they feel safe if they are only passing through. Are. Furthermore, on December 20 the senator called for a review of the public safety plan, enriching it, and improving coordination to restore peace and tranquility to Mexicans.

In 2018 the National Human Rights Commission and UNAM reported that the three main problems migrants face while in transit from Mexico are robbery (20.3%), kidnapping and organized crime (21%) and immigration operations (fifteen%) . About 4% of expatriates have been exposed to extortion and corruption by the Mexican authorities. In the study, the migrants interviewed indicated that the railroads through which they travel through Mexico to reach the United States, the private security groups hired to look after the cargo, are violent, and carry weapons.

They use, extort, kidnap and experience organized crime, as well as their alleged collusion with agents of the National Migration Institute, the Federal Police and the Municipal Police. In this sense, the Documentation Network of Organizations Defending Migrants (REDODEM), in its 2019 report, reveals the different situations to which migrants in Mexico are exposed, with assaults representing 77% of the total and the remaining 13 Pertains to the problems of %. Extortion, abuse of authority, intimidation, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, among others.

Migrants identified individuals as the main aggressors, ie, gangs, organized crime or individuals (68%), followed by security forces, including police, private security for trains and the National Migration Institute (20%). and the rest. is uncertain, which confirms the data reported by UNAM