A Flawed Asylum System in Mexico, Strained Further by Changes in U.S. Kirk Semple - The New York Times | |
go to original August 5, 2017 |
Migrants waiting for food in Caborca, in northern Mexico. The asylum system in Mexico suffers from inadequate staffing, uneven training and inconsistent adjudication. (Alfredo Estrella/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
As the Trump administration pushes forward with its plans to harden the southwest border, Mexico has found itself under pressure to take in an increasing number of asylum seekers making their way north from Central America, many of them fleeing gang violence.
But immigrants’ advocates say Mexico’s asylum system and its ability to protect migrants have not kept pace with these demands, impeding access for many migrants to the safety they deserve and the refugee status they may be entitled to.
While the Mexican government has made improvements to its asylum program in recent years and has awarded protection at increasingly higher rates, the system remains deeply flawed, leaving many migrants vulnerable to harm, according to at least seven reports published in recent weeks by American, Mexican, Central American and international groups focused on human rights and migration.
The weaknesses include inadequate staffing in Mexico’s refugee agency, leading to monthslong waits for applicants; uneven training and supervision of immigration agents; and inconsistent adjudication of asylum law, according to the reports.
Many who might qualify for asylum have been unable to begin the process because government officials have not taken the steps needed to allow them to apply, the groups contend. In some cases, border agents have actively discouraged migrants from applying for asylum, threatening them with long detention in Mexico while their petitions are being considered, advocates say.
... Officials predict that the total number applying for asylum this year will reach 20,000, more than twice the number of last year.
Read the rest at The New York Times
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