Civil organizations asked the government of Mexico for urgent actions to provide support to the Venezuelan population that is being expelled from the United States after the entry into force of Title 42, the migratory agreement that restricts entry to that country.
Members of organizations, accompanied by Venezuelans, went to the Senate to urge legislators to establish an inter-institutional working table where the Foreign Ministry, the National Institute of Migration (INM), the Secretariat of Local Government and representatives of the Venezuelan community in Mexico participate.
They called on the authorities to establish a humanitarian corridor in states where there is a Venezuelan population in transit, as well as for the INM to issue visitor cards for humanitarian reasons.
Before senators, they expressed concern about the situation and gave an overview of what is happening in various parts of the country with the Venezuelan population, after the restrictions in the US.
“Upon arrival in Mexico, some of these families are being separated from their partners. Due attention is not being given and there is no real response from government institutions. Although in some places such as Ciudad Juárez spaces have been enabled, there is no real coordination on the part of the people who should be leading this new immigration policy. The hard work is being done by the organizations,” Monica Espinosa Gonzalez of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) told a news conference.
Read: Venezuelans not only face expulsions from the US: they also face restrictions and being forced to leave Mexico
After a meeting with the organizations, Senator Gustavo Madero promised to address and manage the issue in Congress, as well as to raise the issue with the Political Coordination Board (Jucopo) to support the shelters and find a solution.
“What the Plural Group wants is to join and make visible the problem and manage that the Senate of the Republic is an actor for the solution of this problem. We want to be allies and we are going to propose to Jucopo so that this whole issue is not made invisible,” he said.
Before going to the Senate, the organizations took a statement and a series of recommendations to the Foreign Ministry, where they accused that, due to the agreement between the US and Mexico as part of Title 42, a migration crisis was generated where there are thousands of Venezuelans in Mexico without shelter, food or attention.
“Overnight, more than 41,000 Venezuelans found themselves trapped in Mexico. If people tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, they would be expelled to this country. Between October 12 and 23, 5,193 Venezuelans were expelled to Mexico through Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, Tijuana, Nogales and Piedras Negras,” said Lizbeth Guerrero, of Support for Venezuelan Migrants.
Read: Venezuelan migrants denounce express deportations at Mexico’s southern border: ‘They put you to walk to return’
Gabriela Hernández, from Casa Tochan, said that the shelters in Mexico City are at their maximum capacity, so she asked the capital government to open a space for Venezuelan migrants in order to provide them with dignified care.
“They seem to have deaf ears, that is why they force us to come and demand and listen to the demands of the Venezuelan population. They need a space and a humanitarian visa that allows them to work,” he said.
In a document delivered to the Foreign Ministry, the organizations asked the government of Mexico to stop receiving people expelled under Title 42 and that the INM stop carrying out mass deportations.
In addition, they recommended that the government build a process that guarantees the necessary resources to support Venezuelans with voluntary return to countries where they have authorization to remain, such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
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