Migration
Note the double standards of the REFORM FOCUS
Although Mexico is the largest migration corridor in the world, the country lacks a policy to regulate this flow, experts criticize
By Martha Martinez
Mexico City (July 18, 2010) .- In migration, Mexico applies an double standards the U.S. government calls for respect for the Mexicans, but within the country, the Central Americans who enter without documents are victims of human rights violations, robberies, extortions and kidnappings.
Official figures indicate that, on average, each year more than half a million Mexicans and Central Americans moving to the northern border in an attempt to reach the United States.
Although this figure makes Mexico the largest migration corridor in the world, academics Fabienne Venet, director of the Institute of Migration Studies and Outreach, and Rodolfo Rubio Salas, a researcher at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte, say the country lacks a policy regulating this flow.
Experts say that the actions implemented by the Mexican government to address the phenomenon of migration to the United States are scattered, disorganized, inefficient and lack of clear goals, which leads to their response to violations of human rights of Mexicans are warm, late and ignored.
respect to the southern border indicate that government actions are focused on flow control, which favors the criminalization of undocumented migration, abuse and corruption among Mexican border agents, the rise of robbery and kidnapping as a business of organized crime and impunity in such acts.
While these problems are exacerbated, President Felipe Calderón protest against the possible entry into force of Law Arizona on July 29 and claim the White House and Congress together to promote comprehensive immigration reform.
Crisis on the southern border
Central level, Mexico has failed to implement a strategy to control migratory flows and its methods have been criticized internationally for generating the same human rights violations that Country complaint against his countrymen.
deaths, robberies, kidnappings, rapes, extortion, abuse by police elements and no access to justice have been documented by Amnesty International, which has warned that the border of Mexico, Central American migrants face a real crisis human rights.
Official figures realize that each year more than 100 thousand Central Americans, unofficial figures indicate that more than 250 thousand, enter the country with the aim of crossing into the United States. The majority come of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Special Report on Abduction against migrants, released last year by the National Commission on Human Rights, reveals that in 6 months about 10 thousand Central Americans were kidnapped during their transit through Mexico.
The report indicates that in the commission of these crimes are involved in organized crime gangs and authorities, who obtained about 25 million dollars in ransoms.
Although the report notes that daily are 50 American hostages until now the Mexican government has announced measures to protect migrants. By
Otherwise, the points of robbery and kidnapping are moved from one place to another with the passivity of the Mexican authorities.
Ambassador of El Salvador in Mexico, Hugo Carrillo, gives an example.
"In Rice (Chiapas), the attacks have declined substantially in the last 4 or 5 months but have moved away, in Chahuites (Chiapas)."
The diplomat described another factor hindering the comprehensive care of the problem.
"From the first day he took office as Governor Juan Sabines in Chiapas, I took the trouble to go over and started talking about the tragedy of the migrants passing, mostly by the state of Chiapas. Federal authorities were not happy for the Governor was interested in the issue of migrants because there is a zeal "he says.
Antonio Diaz, chief of staff of the National Migration Institute, admits that another problem facing Central America is corruption of some Mexican authorities.
Diaz reports so far of the administration have been dismissed from the Institute about 400 people linked with corruption, of which 30 have been jailed.
"When we received the Institute we thought we were entering an institution that had corruption, in practice there are many good people, not me doubt, a few color the work of many, "he says.
reactive U.S. policy
On 20 May, in a speech to Congress, President Calderón said:" (Arizona Law ) is a law that not only ignores a reality that can not be eliminated by decree, but introduces the terrible idea that racial discrimination can be the basis for the application of the law. "
Mexican president's criticism was one month after the passage of SB1070, known as the Arizona law, which empowers state and local authorities to investigate the immigration status of a person when suspicions are "reasonable" manner that is illegal on U.S. soil.
A week after the speech (28 May), the Mexican Hernández Anastasio was beaten by 20 agents of the Border Patrol on the American side of the Puente Isidro-Tijuana. Three days later, he died due to brain damage that caused the electric shocks were applied to agents even though he was immobilized.
On 8 June, the 15 year old Sergio Adrián Hernández Guereca was murdered in Ciudad Juárez by a Border Patrol agent who shot him from the U.S..
Fabienne Venet, director Institute of Migration Studies and Outreach, says Calderón's speech, despite being praised in several sectors, and these two facts show that far from having an immigration policy, the federal government responds to the contingencies.
"There are a number of initiatives, but most are temporary and not sustained over time, then the immigration issue is still subject to the ups and downs of the relationship with the United States on other issues and suddenly the track rises to a pitch situation which is generally deplorable.
"If Mexico does not develop a firm position to offer, with a long-term vision and does not hold that view and those actions we will continue as now, reacting to situations, "notes the expert.
Figures from 2009 indicate that U.S. 11.9 million Mexicans live. According to the National Population Council, on average each year 400 million Mexicans try to cross the northern border , the majority come from Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas. The main causes of migration are poverty, joblessness and low wages.
Mexicans and Mexican descent represent the group of non- the largest American country in the aggregate 30 million, or 10 percent of the population.
The swaying policy Venet
immigration ensures that Mexico has failed to design a migration policy towards the U.S. because although important bilateral initiatives promoted, he held no more than six years.
Two examples: in 1997, prompted the United States-Mexico Binational Study on Migration, whose goal was to have a common basis of understanding and data to address the issue bilaterally, the study is unique in its kind, although this was not continued by subsequent governments.
In 2006, former President Vicente Fox urged Mexico to Initiative migration. This is the only document that expresses a position comprehensive and consensus on immigration between the executive, legislative, civil society and academia. The proposals were not taken up by President Calderon. Venet
warns that the "culture of six-year, Mexico has not addressed the issue of immigration in an institutional manner.
"Today it is being mandated by the Ministry of the Interior Mexican immigration policies, to me it seems an aberration, was justified at the time ... obviously the environment today has changed completely, then it can be done by a institution because it is an issue that requires the concurrence of ministries responsible for issues such as work, social development, economy, the environment, because these are the causes of migration, "he says.
A review of the sectoral programs of different ministries and the National Population Programme shows that the federal executive does not pose a coordinated effort among agencies responsible for social development, employment promotion, development of the field or environment care to address migration.
This, despite the National Development Programme, the hub of government policy recognizes that " lack of opportunity and economic asymmetries are among the root causes of the rapid departure of human capital abroad, especially United States. "
By contrast, migration policy is relegated to the secretaries of Foreign Affairs and the National Migration Institute.
The
immigration reform impossible in their bilateral relations, Mexico has committed to immigration reform is unlikely to realize at least during the presidency of Barack Obama.
Rodolfo Rubio Salas, a researcher at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte, recalls that on his last visit to the White House, President Calderon called on Obama to push for a comprehensive immigration reform. The Obama's response was blunt: "I have 60 votes in the Senate."
Obama reiterated this warning during first speech on immigration reform on 1 July.
For Rubio Salas, this response is the explicit recognition of U.S. President that his government has other priorities, such as internal security, economic crisis and fiscal reform.
Scholar warns that even when Obama tried to promote immigration reform, his political capital was exhausted with the approval of the health system reform.
"I think when he said, President Obama was aware that much of his political capital he had spent on health care reform, where the Republican Party was against him, he had political capital to make up that to start trading and is also quite clear that there will be an important part of Congress who will not only be difficult to convince, but he believes it will never be able to convince, "he says.
The researcher argues that in the case of opened the debate on immigration reform in Congress, the negotiation will depend on how much Obama offers in terms of border security, because after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, migration was included in the internal security agenda that country.
Another factor against the midterm elections are Nov. 2 in the United States.
"It's an issue that can have political costs, perhaps some politicians are avoiding, but we also saw very strong stances, just from the debate that raised the Arizona law," said Fabienne Venet.
also warns that immigration reform is not the absolute solution to the problem, despite the importance he has given the Mexican government.
The specialist recommends that U.S. migration policy is not focused on the possible reform in that country, but the Mexican government to boost bilateral agreements for Mexican migrants and internally treats the causes of migration, such as poverty, unemployment and low wages. Venet
adds that Mexico and U.S. demand immigration reform should start the debate on the need to promote changes within the country to provide greater legal safeguards for American entrants allow its southern border and attempts to sketch the first State policy in this area.
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CAN BE FOUND IN THIS NOTE:
http://www.reforma.com/enfoque/articulo/1130126/
Publication Date: 16-Jul-2010
'Yes migration policy is a '
The manager of the migration agenda in the Federation says there is congruence between what the U.S. called and offered to Central America. By Martha Martínez
Mexico City (July 25, 2010) .- According to the commissioner of the National Migration Institute, Cecilia Romero, Mexico has an immigration policy clear, consistent and advancing in the right direction.
However, recognizing that we still achieve a more responsive at all points of entry, both in the northern border on the southern border, the professionalization of migrant workers, ensuring respect for human rights of all migrants and the adoption of a law on migration that will be sent to Congress in September, nearly four years after this administration began.
Migration In response to the report: the double standard, published last week in Focus, the federal official says criticism of the Institute are respectable, but denies that there is no coordination with other government agencies to address the migration phenomenon, which lacks clear goals in this area and apply a double standard by violating human rights of Central Americans entering the country without documents while criticizing the treatment of Mexicans trying to enter the United States.
Commissioner says that it has been reduce the rate of violence in the southern border, but admits that these advances are overshadowed by the climate of hostility generated by the crimes committed by organized crime against migrants.
"We achieved that a large percentage decrease in the abuse of undocumented migrants. If we put on the other hand the rise of organized crime and international drug trafficking in persons, because sometimes all that is able to advance themselves is minimized a bit, "he says.
Beyond the effects of organized crime, the Commissioner indicates that the southern migration policy objective is "to make the border region and neighboring countries, a area prosperous, peaceful and safe. "
Among the actions that the Institute carries out to achieve that goal are the launch of a regularization program for foreigners who already have been residing in the country, implementing a form Local Visitor immigration which is free and allows foreign nationals to legally stay for three days, the immigration issue in a cross-border workers and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Southern countries of Central orderly repatriation to their places of origin.
Romero says that these measures will allow monitoring and ensure respect for human rights of Central Americans, and give "Coherence" to the immigration policy implemented by the federal government.
"These programs speak precisely of an important element in immigration policy of President Calderon: consistency. We respect the United States want to respect the human rights of Mexicans ... that we are calling for our compatriots is we are doing to foreigners who enter the southern border of Mexico, "he says.
regard to the criticism about the physical state of the 47 migratory stations in the country Romero says: "there is overcrowding, there is no lack of food, water shortages, lack of health care."
northern border
Al INM coordinate corresponds Paisano Program, where they currently attend 21 government agencies, and Humane Repatriation Program, which operates in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "which aims to welcome the Mexican nationals who are deported by the Border Patrol.
These programs are referred by the staff as the main actions to protect Mexicans who migrate to the United States.
"The first thing we do is provide (to the nationals repatriated) water, food, shelter and the possibility of making a phone call to his family, then offer them to those who want the program Humane Repatriation ... to which the host can offer temporary shelter and even a contact through the Secretary of Labor for a minimum bonus of course, that when it comes to their place of origin may seek a delegation to see a job " indicated.
Romero announced that "soon" give lawmakers a bill developed by the INM from consultations with civil society organizations, churches, academics and experts from the Institute Advisory Board.
Romero says that the draft law will be delivered on time so that if lawmakers consider it appropriate, be discussed in September, when you start the next regular session.
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CAN BE FOUND IN THIS NOTE:
http://www.reforma.com/enfoque/articulo/1132174/
Publication Date: 22-Jul-2010
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