The past few years have seen increased numbers of migrants through the Americas. Historically, Mexico has been a country in which people migrate from; however, due to changes in US immigration policy, as well as, increased economic success in Mexico, the state is transitioning to a destination country for migrants. So what does this mean for Mexico?
According to statistics from Mexico’s Secretary of Governance and the Mexican Commission for Refugees and Assistance, the number of asylum seekers has increased from over 1,000 in 2013 to over 29,000 in 2018. Mexico has adapted “more progressive asylum laws”.
At the end of Pena Nieto’s administration, the former Mexican President implemented a new policy aimed at Central American migrants, “Estas en tu Casa” or “you are home”. The program offered temporary work permits to Central American migrants “who requested asylum and stayed in the southern Mexican states.” This program has been met with mixed emotions from some migrants, since they see a lack of work in Southern Mexico.
What’s important to recognize is that when Mexico opened up to international trade, the South was seemingly left behind while the rest of the country developed. The southern part of the country is home to some of the highest levels of poverty in Mexico. Providing migrants a temporary visa that allows them to work could be a viable method to develop the south. According to a recent New York Times article, the Mexican government is currently suffering from labor shortages. Temporary worker programs are a legitimate solution to this.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and his administration seem to understand this. Not only has the AMLO government continued to offer humanitarian visas that last up to a year, but the government announced in December that it plans to invest $30 million dollars in a regional development plan in Southern Mexico and Central America. Part of this development plan would entail job creation.
Although this does present Mexico with an opportunity to not only provide refuge for people fleeing violence and seeking economic prosperity, while also developing its southern region, the Mexican state also has to face the fact that these numbers are not slowing down. The government’s plans for development are great, but they need first to ensure that they can handle the current migration influx.
An issue with the humanitarian visas is that they only last for a year (though they can be renewed). Some migrants may chose to stay in Mexico, while they figure out how to reach the United States. These became “too popular” according to Mexico’s National Institute of Migration. Though these humanitarian visas offer legal status, and thus many benefits to the migrants, they also do not provide a lasting solution for the government. For many of the migrants, the US remains the ultimate destination.
Migration through Mexico is not going to decrease. The government must continue to provide open borders but will also need to develop creative plans to address migration. Although migration may be a short-term solution to Mexico’s labor shortage, as well as, a jump-starter to development in the South, as it stands, it does not represent a long-term sustainable, solution.
