Conclusions of the Migration Summit in Mexico
The conclusions of the Migration Summit in Mexico were not very definitive on the immigration issue, and only future measures are expected.
The Migration Summit in Mexico and 11 other Latin American countries concluded this Sunday with a joint declaration that rejected “coercive measures,” pledged to respect the human right to migrate, and called for more legal alternatives for migration.
“We agreed to urge countries of origin, transit, and destination to implement comprehensive migration policies that respect the human right to migrate, safeguarding the lives and dignity of migrant individuals and their families, and including the promotion of options for permanent regularization,” stated the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, as she read the consensus statement.
Migration Summit: The conclusions
The joint declaration of the Migration Summit in Mexico was signed by the heads of state of Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela, the vice president of El Salvador, and the deputy prime minister of Belize, as well as ministers and foreign ministers from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama, who met in Palenque, Chiapas, at the invitation of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador added that Latin American countries, in a united front, should seek cooperation from the United States government.
Bárcena said that the Migration Summit in Mexico aims to discourage migration through economic programs, address Washington’s sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba, and discuss “paths of labor mobility” to the United States.
The Mexican summit is a welcomed start to “dialogue with southern countries,” but it may not achieve much, said migration researcher Dolores Paris Pombo.
It is worth noting that amid U.S. economic sanctions and a political and economic crisis, according to the UN, approximately 7.1 million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years, creating challenges for their South American neighbors.
-Between the Migration Summit in Mexico and U.S. Decisions-
Furthermore, the inconsistent U.S. immigration policy, which fluctuates greatly between former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden, exacerbates the problem in Latin America, said Paris Pombo.
Since taking office in 2021, Democrat Biden has opened several new legal pathways for immigrants while adopting some more restrictive border measures that echo the policies of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
Biden has implemented various policies to curb the number of undocumented immigrants entering the U.S., for example, reaching an agreement with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
As part of the effort to promote legal migration, he has created a series of the so-called “Safe Mobility Offices” in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and more recently, Ecuador, to streamline the processing of refugees and other humanitarian and employment permits.
In September, Mexican and U.S. authorities reached an agreement for Mexico to deport some migrants expelled there from the United States.
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