One of the key issues concerning Mexica, particularly in the context of OAS, is immigration. Currently, Mexico is facing an unprecedented immigration crisis. It can be broken down into three groups:
- Overflowing communities at the Mexico-U.S. border are filled with people that have either been expelled from the U.S. or waiting to get in.
- A stable rate of immigrants and refugees, particularly traveling in so ‘caravans’ coming from South and Central Americas into Mexico with the hopes of reaching the U.S. or finding permanent residence in Mexico at the least.
- A stable flow of Mexican population over the last decades, particularly low-wage farm and factory labor as well as highly educated professionals.
The majority of illegal immigrants to Mexico come from impoverished countries in Central America, such as Haiti, Guatemala, and Honduras, but also people fleeing drug and political violence in South America from countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia. Many African visitors and even Americans overstay their visas.
Therefore, immigrants coming from the south of the country combined with thousands in the north expelled by the United States are putting Mexico in a difficult position. Mexico generally has very strict policies on immigration as well. However, many of these illegal immigrants are refugees, and Mexico must process their applications in accordance with international law. The government’s refugee agency is overwhelmed, particularly slowed down by the pandemic. Just in the 2021 year to date, more than 77,000 people applied for protected status. (Al-Jazeera, 2021). The immigration containment policy, both domestically and across the continent, is failing. The migrants are living in crime-filled border cities and in poor conditions, creating a humanitarian crisis.
For the OAS, migration is one of the key subjects for policy and discussion. The organization realizes that population movements at the international level are existent due to global changes and changes in their home countries. In the Americas, the magnitude and elements of migration have social and economic impacts. The OAS has also adopted resolutions to protect asylum seekers and refugees, aiming to resolve this regional problem (OAS, 2021). It is within the realm of OAS to resolve Mexico’s immigration crisis. The solution requires international cooperation and resources. Primarily, the United States, which is the destination for the majority of the migrants, must work with Mexico to determine solutions and upkeep a respectable way of life. A multinational approach to the problem, potentially via distributing the migrants fairly between the more developed nations or providing Mexico with the resources to process and offer basic needs to these refugees, would be most effective.
Reference
Al-Jazeera. (2021). Mexico faces migration crises on northern, southern borders. Web.
OAS. (2021). Migration. Web.