President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said today that Mexico will always protect the human rights of migrants, after the measure of returning foreigners to the Latin American country so they can wait there for the development of their asylum process in the United States.
“We want to maintain a relationship of understanding and friendship with the United States Government, but at the same time defend the principles of Mexico’s foreign policy,” the president said at his morning press conference.
He asserted that this foreign policy consists of “being human rights defenders and at all times giving protection to migrants”.
“This is the framework in which we are going to address this issue,” said the leftist leader.
The Government of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday that he will return to Mexico immigrants who enter the country irregularly across the common border, including asylum seekers, while completing their immigration procedures in the United States.
In response, Mexico said that, in a “sovereign” response, it would accept and give attention to these migrants, even with work visas, while the process is completed in US territory.
At the same conference, the foreign minister of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, denied once again that this change in immigration policy implies that Mexico becomes a Third Secure Country.
“This is not the case, because when there is a Third Secure Country, it is a treaty between countries, and no treaty is proposed,” he said, remembering that being a Safe Third Country would imply that the entire immigration process with the United States would be carried out. from Mexico
Ebrard stressed that Mexico, faced with the new measures of the United States, is in the position of “accepting or deporting” the migrants, mostly Central Americans.
“It is not the intention of Mexico to deport these people, if it were, it would have been done,” added the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
He added that next Monday, December 24, the Government of Mexico will give a “definitive” position on the measure, always considering human rights.
“Deporting people would go against the right of asylum and people,” he added, also respecting the recently ratified Global Compact for Secure, Ordered and Regular Migration.
Ebrard said that Mexico and the United States have almost “opposite” migration policies.
In another matter, he celebrated Thursday’s ruling in the UN of the Avena case, recognizing violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) that prevented consular access to 51 Mexican citizens who were sentenced to death.
“It sets a precedent of greater magnitude for the protection of nationals in the United States, such as guaranteeing interpreter services for those who are prosecuted in the country.”
According to the Undersecretary of Human Rights of the Ministry of the Interior, Alejandro Encinas, there are currently 4,000 Central American migrants in Tijuana belonging to the caravans that have been crossing Mexico for two months in order to reach the United States.
On the refugee applications in Mexico, he said that since the previous government they have accumulated more than 28,000. (EFEUSA) .-
