México plans meeting to address the migration challenge in America

The president of Mexico seeks to gather approximately 10 countries with the purpose of addressing the migration challenge in America.

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced his intention to hold a multilateral meeting with about 10 countries to address the growing migration issue in America.

This initiative responds to the call from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which warned about the “unprecedented” flow of people crossing the continent and the need for increased collaboration between the governments of Central America and Mexico.

During a press conference held in Mexico City, President López Obrador emphasized the importance of preventing an increase in migration flows due to the risks associated with this phenomenon.

López Obrador stated that, while it is essential to protect migrants, it is also necessary to emphasize the dangers they face when undertaking such movements. “It is a structural issue that affects practically the entire region. We want to negotiate a joint aid plan,” the leader emphasized.

Mexico calls for a meeting with countries from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean

Although he did not provide specific details about the proposal nor mentioned the countries that will be invited, López Obrador confirmed that the meeting will include nations from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

It is expected that this summit will take place in the next ten days, demonstrating the urgency with which Mexico seeks to address this migration challenge.

The Mexican president expressed his concern about the significant increase in the flow of migrants entering Mexico from countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia.

This increase has led to the need to analyze the underlying causes and seek solutions so that people are not forced to leave their places of origin.

A highlighted aspect of this meeting will be the pursuit of a humanitarian approach to migration management, as pointed out by Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, during her participation in the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mexico seeks to humanize the issue of migration

Foreign Minister Bárcena Ibarra underscored the importance of changing the development paradigm to close the gaps and asymmetries between rich and poor, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, she emphasized that inequality is not only morally unacceptable but also inefficient from an economic perspective.

“Mexico has a very clear compass: humanize migration,” stated Foreign Minister Bárcena Ibarra. “Migration should be an option, not an obligation. When a person migrates, it should be done in a safe, orderly, and regular manner.”

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs urged all countries, especially those that benefit from the contribution of migrants, to support the communities of origin and establish migration management models that protect human rights and offer opportunities for labor and financial integration to migrants.

Mexico’s initiative to convene this multilateral meeting comes after the country agreed to collaborate with the United States to address the surge of migrants at the latter’s southern border.

Among the agreed measures are the increase in deportations, interceptions, and negotiations with several countries of origin of the migrants.

So far, these actions have had a positive impact, with a decrease in the flow of migrants at some key points along the Mexico-United States border.

Do you think a solution to migration can be reached?

Sources: Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, El Economista, CNN en Español