The Mexican government announced on Tuesday the elimination of the controversial “Remain in Mexico” program, active since 2019, which kept migrants on the northern border of Mexico while they waited for the resolution of their procedures to enter the United States.
In a statement, the Mexican Foreign Ministry stressed that this measure known in the US as Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) was a unilateral measure implemented during the Administration of former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021).
This program provoked criticism from international and national human rights organizations for the lack of humanitarian conditions in the shelters that proliferate on the northern Mexican border.
According to figures from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the “Remain in Mexico” program has impacted more than 75,000 migrants, “violating people’s right to seek asylum.”
According to figures from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) the “Remain in Mexico” program has impacted more than 75,000 migrants, “violating the right of people to seek asylum.”
Mexican authorities recalled that on June 17, 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) of the Mexican Government about the lack of space in shelters in Tijuana, Baja California, to process more cases under the aforementioned program.
“For this reason, the entry of migrants into Mexico through that entry point stopped as of June 19,” he explained.
However, it was not until August 8 when the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the formal conclusion of this measure.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry said that this is the result of compliance with the order of a Federal District Court in the United States and in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States of June 30, 2022 on the matter.
“The Government of Mexico, through the SRE, has been verifying that the necessary humanitarian attention is granted to the migrants participating in the program, including the administration of tests for covid-19 and the attention of positive cases, and will continue to guarantee their adequate stay and protection in national territory in this stage of termination”, concluded the Mexican Government. (EFE)
