The international organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that Mexico City is no longer “a sanctuary for migrants” due to the lack of safe shelters, the complex access to immigration procedures and the increased vulnerability of this population.
The organization, which has been working with migrants in Mexico City since August 2021, found that this situation “is reaching an unprecedented limit with a direct impact on the health and safety of this population in the city.”
“It is definitely no longer possible to speak of Mexico City as a sanctuary for the migrant population,” said Israel Reséndiz, MSF’s mobile activities manager, in a statement.
He recalled that until recently, migrants arriving in the Mexican capital “found respite from the hostilities of the journey” thanks to the offer of health services, shelter and access to immigration procedures that are scarce in other parts of the country.
Situation has worsened in recent months
“Today, it is the opposite; they are forced to live on the streets, with very limited access to health care and no possibility of receiving protection,” lamented Reséndiz.
The representative pointed out that for several months, MSF has been denouncing the lack of safe and dignified shelter spaces for the migrant population in Mexico City.
However, “this situation has only worsened in recent months” and he said that his team has observed how the authorities’ attempts to address the situation have failed, as in the case of the untimely opening and closing of the Tláhuac shelter in 2023 and the Casa del Migrante in 2024.
“At the same time, civil society shelters are overwhelmed and facing major challenges in their operation,” he said.
Sexual violence, extortion and kidnapping
In addition, she accused that the lack of spaces and the aforementioned closures have resulted in an increase in cases of sexual violence, land grabbing, extortion, and kidnapping that victimize the migrant population.
She noted that between January and June 2024, the NGO “detected 83 cases of sexual violence, which represents an increase of 80.43% compared to the same period of the previous year, when we recorded 46 cases.”
Added to this is the fact that violence in any form occurs at a distance. This is the main reason for consultation for migrants who come to MSF’s mobile clinics, with 69% of people seeking care for this reason.
Looking for places to camp
MSF said that in July alone, due to institutional negligence by the Mexican capital government in addressing the needs of the population on the move, “the number of people in informal camps has proliferated or increased” in places such as Plaza de La Soledad, colonia (neighborhood) La Merced, and El Camellón and Las Vías, near the Northern Bus Terminal.
“Each of these three places houses approximately 800 to 1,200 people, including a large proportion of minors, pregnant women and people with health needs, who are more vulnerable to the negative effects of living under these poor habitat and security conditions,” said Reséndiz.
Given this situation, the NGO made a strong call for the authorities of Mexico City to respond adequately to the needs of the migrant population in the city.
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