From 3,000 to 6,000 migrants per day on the southern border of Mexico

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimated this Monday the arrival of between 3,000 and 6,000 migrants a day at Mexico’s southern border since the current migration wave began last August.

In a statement, the organization warned that “Mexico and the region are facing a significant increase in the number of people in situations of mobility,” but called for “strengthening mechanisms that guarantee the non-refoulement of people in need of international protection.”

“In 2023, more than 400,000 people crossed the Darién jungle in Panama. It is estimated that since August, between 3,000 and 6,000 people have arrived in southern Mexico every day, and in several cities in the country, shelters and other reception areas are saturated,” the agency said in the bulletin. .

UNHCR’s calculations match those of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who estimated the arrival of up to 6,000 migrants a day at Mexico’s southern border and 10,000 at the border with the United States in the current wave of migration.

The UN agency stated that its monitoring shows that “a high proportion of mobile people in the region are fleeing their countries due to violence, insecurity and persecution, which may require international protection as refugees”.

Mexico has promised to cooperate in deporting migrants rejected by the United States after a meeting in September between Mexican officials and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), although the government insists it is an “assisted return”.

UNHCR recognized the “major challenges” the migration flow poses for Mexico’s borders, but asked to “ensure that these processes are carried out with full respect for international refugee law and international human rights law.”

“Given the continuation of deportations from Mexico to several countries, and in order to prevent the risk of cases of return of persons in need of international protection, UNHCR recommends that, before continuing the deportation, it is ensured that the person does not need international protection,” he noted.