SITREP Central America - Mexico 2018 - 1 December 2019 ... · Working 59% Return to home 12% Healthcare 1% Study 9% SITREP | Central America - Mexico | IOM Assisted Voluntary Return

AVR MPP

Program Adults Unaccompanied children

Accompanied children

Returns since 25 November, 2019 Total

Assisted Voluntary Return program in Mexico and

Guatemala1,661 107 334 15 2,102

In MPP 616 0 551 0 1,167

Total 2,277 107 885 15 3,269

RETURNS BY MONTH

MAR2019

MAY2019

APR2019

FEB2019

1 3 6

7 8

1 4 4

3 8 5

11

ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAM

IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return Program aims to achieve the voluntary, orderly and humane return of migrants who can not or do not want to stay in their countries of transit or destination and wish to return voluntarily to their country of origin.

Since November 4, 2018, IOM has provided Voluntary Return Assistance in Mexico City, Tapachula, Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey, San Luis Potosi, Piedras Negras, Celaya, Saltillo, Guadalajara and Guanajuato in Mexico, and Tecun Uman in Guatemala, to those migrants who migrated in organized massive groups (also known as caravans). At December 1, 2019, IOM has

provided Voluntary Return Assistance to 2,102 people, 107 of which are unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, and 334 are accompanied migrant children and adolescents.

In addition, since July 1 2019, IOM has opened the Voluntary Return Program for those who desist or withdraw from the United States' "Migrant Protection Protocols (MMP)" process. In Mexico, specifically in Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana and Matamoros, IOM has registered 1,167 Assisted Voluntary Return cases, of which 551 involved accompanied minors. However, operations in the north of the country (Mexicali, Nuevo Laredo, San Luis Río Colorado and Nogales) are increasing, to date without any assisted return made.

SITREPCentral America - Mexico4 November 2018 - 1 December 2019

SUMMARY CHART

OPERATING LOCATIONS

Tijuana

NogalesSan Luis Río Colorado

Juarez city

Piedras Negras

Nuevo Laredo

Tapachula

Mexico city

San LuisPotosi

Guanajuato

Saltillo

CelayaGuadalajara

Tecún Úman

Monterrey

Matamoros

MexicaliTijuana

NogalesSan Luis Río Colorado

Juarez city

Piedras Negras

Nuevo Laredo

Tapachula

Mexico city Tlaxcala

Puebla

San LuisPotosi

Guanajuato

Saltillo

CelayaGuadalajara

Tecún Úman

Monterrey

Matamoros

Map Legend

Register Point AVRRegister Point AVR-MPPStarting Operations under AVR-MPP

Map Legend

Registration pointRegistration point AVR-MPPStarting Operations under AVR-MPPInactive point

Mexicali

Tlaxcala

Puebla

NOV2018

JUL2019

JAN2019

SEP2019

DEC2018

AUG2019

JUN2019

NOV2019

OCT2019

6 0 0

5 0 0

4 0 0

3 0 0

2 0 0

1 0 0

0

4 8 7

9 1

1 9 4

1 0 2

1 7 6

8 0 8 2 8 1 6 8

2 6 6

2 1 5 2 1 1

3 8 5

9 0

MexicaliMexicali

10<1%

54743%

21717%

2<1%

101%

1<1%

1<1%

111%

2<1%

1<1%

595%

373%

171%

37229%

Guanajuato

Guadalajara

Saltillo

Celaya

Tijuana

Piedras Negras

Juarez city

Monterrey

Tapachula

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico city

Guanajuato

Guadalajara

Saltillo

San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí

Celaya

Tijuana

Piedras Negras

Juarez city

Monterrey

Tapachula

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico city

PueblaPuebla

Tlaxcala

El Salvador

NicaraguaNicaragua

Tlaxcala

Registration pointPeople assisted from the point of registrationDestination of the assisted people

Map Legend

68684%

12916%

Tecún Úman

Guatemala

Honduras

El Salvador

2

ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAM IN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA

In Mexico, most cases were registered in Mexico City (43%) and Tapachula (29%). The remaining cases were registered in Tijuana (17%), Ciudad Juárez (5%), Monterrey (3%), Piedras Negras (1%), Guanajuato (1%), San Luis Potosí, Celaya, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Guadalajara and Saltillo (<1%). The operations are increasing in Northern Mexico.

All unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents registered in Mexico have benefited from assisted voluntary returns through air transportation, considering their serious situation of vulnerability.

In Guatemala, the Voluntary Return Program has operated from the border with Mexico, in Tecun Umán, and by land only. The 84 per cent of migrants registered in Guatemala returned to Honduras and 16 per cent to El Salvador.

Regarding means of transportation, 81 per cent of migrants have been returned by ground transportation, 7 per cent by air transportation (unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents) and 12 per cent have alternatively used air and ground transportation during their assisted return.

2

7%AirGround Air/Ground

TRANSPORTATION MODEUnaccompanied

minors1Total voluntary

return assistances

7%81% 12%

1Already included in the total voluntary return assistance.

Returns from Mexico: 1,287

Returns from Guatemala: Returns from Guatemala: 815815

SITREP | Central America - Mexico | IOM Assisted Voluntary Return 4 November 2018 - 1 December 2019

Close-up of Returns from MexicoClose-up of Returns from Mexico

107 2,102

33

OCCUPATION SECTOR

Commerce11%

Agriculture, livestock, forestry, hunting

and fishing

25%

Unpaid domestic services

Students

8%10%Transportation

6%Manufacturing and industry

6%

Most of the people who have been assisted are of Honduran (78%) or Salvadoran nationality (18%). Of these migrants, 76 per cent of migrants are men and 24 per cent are women, 77 per cent are concentrated between 18 and 45 years of age.

At the time of their voluntary return, most migrants had an irregular migration status (86%) of which 64 per cent were located in Mexico and 36 per cent in Guatemala. The predominant educational level is primary level (54%), comprised 21 per cent women and 79 per cent men. At the secondary level (27%), 22 per cent are women and 78 per cent are men. Fourteen per cent has no education, 62 per cent of them are children under 5 years of age, while 38 per cent are adults who did not have access to basic education (16% women, 84% men).In addition, the agricultural sector is the area in which most people have worked in their countries of origin (25%), followed by construction sector (17%) and various occupations (16%). The various occupations include activities related to tourism, mechanics, safety, forestry, mining, among others, are mentioned.In the agricultural sector, those with primary education (67%) are followed by secondary education (18%). In the construction sector, people mainly have primary education (60%) and secondary education (24%). In the various occupations sector people mainly have primary education (46%) and secondary education (39%).

Construction17%


Honduras

78%Guatemala

4%El Salvador

18%Nicaragua

<1%Mexico

<1%

26%55%

14%5%

86%

14%

X

Diverse occupations

17%

GENDER AND AGE

MIGRATION STATUS

EDUCATION

PROFILE OF ASSISTED PEOPLE

NATIONALITIES

Primary school

High school

No education

Technical education FemaleMale

76% 24%

Regular

Irregular

12%

19%

4%

27%

1%

7%

<1%

6%

3%

5%

1%

7%

<1%

2%

<1%

6%

36 - 45

26 - 35

46 - 55

18 - 25

56 - 65

13 - 17

65 +

0 - 13

4

The majority of migrants self-identified as healthy, however, at the time of the screening process it was revealed that approximately 15 per cent suffered from respiratory diseases, as well as from infections and affectations in muscles and extremities.The survey allowed IOM staff to assess that migrants had suffered from specific health conditions during the journey, such as anxiety, nervousness, dehydration and burns.

Five per cent of surveyed migrants in Mexico had already requested or started an application for the regularization of their migratory status. However, all of them decided to return to their country of origin and reported the following reasons for leaving Mexico: (36%) abandonment of the application, (19%) scarcity of financial resources, (17%) family reunification, (12%) problems with third parties, (7%) Sick relative, (7%) identity document stolen, (1%) process denied, and (1%) homelessness².

In the following graph, three categories are used to summarize the main reasons for migration.

The need for improving their living conditions has been identified as the main reason for the mobilization of these migrants, as many of them referred to conditions of unemployment and inequality in their countries of origin.

Secondly, violence and insecurity is another important cause for migration; many of them mentioned being threatened by gang members. Finally, some people specified that their reason for migrating is their desire to find relatives in the destination country.

From the total of migrants who reported having faced related insecurity situations during their journey, abuse and violence were the most common challenges reported:

REASONS FOR MIGRATING

HEALTH CONDITION

CHALLENGES FACED IN TRANSITAND REASONS FOR RETURNING

INTENTIONS IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

2 Considering that data has been collected starting from March 2019, the representativeness of the following information is equal to 27% of the total amount of registered returns.

The following chart shows the kinship among the migrants. The data shows that most migrants are travelling with first-degree relatives, meaning parents, siblings and children (39%), followed by migrants that are travelling alone (58%), and a smaller percentage of migrants (3%) who reported to be traveling with friends or acquaintances.

Of migrants travelling with family members, 31 per cent are minors between 0 and17 years of age, and 22 per cent are under 13 years of age.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO TRAVEL

Better conditions

Family reunification

Violence and insecurity

75%

6%5%

8%4%1%

1%

Working59%

Return to home

12%Healthcare

1%Study9%


2%

3%

1%

3%

2%

13%

2%

74%

Lack of medication

Limb injuries

Muscle disorders

Unspecified

Infection/s

Fatigue

Respiratory diseases

Healthy

Friends

Family

Alone

58% 39%

3%

Reunite with family

19%

Kidnapping6%

Violence22%

Other3%

Treat17%

Tricks11%

Thefts3%

Abuse21%

Coercion6%

Fraud8%

Exploitation3%

MIGRANTS WHO WITHDREW FROM THE “MIGRANT PROTECTION PROTOCOLS (MPP)” OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The Assisted Voluntary Return Program implemented in the northern of Mexico, aims at advising and assisting migrants who desist from adhering to the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) of the United States. A pivotal

component of the program is to provide participants with reliable information on the consequences of abandoning the MPP related process and to refer special cases to collaborating organizations and institutions.

31 per cent of migrants applying and participating in the Assisted Voluntary Return program are Honduran children under the age of 12.

Most participants (83%) declared they are regularly staying in Mexico. However, 42 per cent had already requested and obtained the regularization of their migratory status (19% were accompanied minors). The Multiple Migratory Form (Forma Migratoria Multiple), which allows recipients to stay in the country for 180 days, was the most requested permit.

TRANSPORTATION MODE

MIGRATORY PROFILE

GENDER AND AGE MIGRATORY STATUS

APPLICATION FOR REGULARIZATION IN MEXICO

AirGround Air/Ground36%62% 2%

5511,167


78667%

4<1%

4<1%

71%

11210%

61%

24821%

MexicaliMexicali

Tijuana

Matamoros

Mexico

HondurasGuatemala

El Salvador

Ciudad Juarez

Celaya

Ciudad JuarezTijuana

MatamorosMonterreyMonterrey

Tapachula

Celaya

Mexico

HondurasGuatemala

El Salvador

95282%

524%

16314%

Mexico

HondurasGuatemala

El Salvador

Mexico

HondurasGuatemala

El Salvador

42% 58%

0 - 1314 - 1718 - 2526 - 3536 - 4546 - 5556 - 65

20%7%5%

11%8%

2%0%

17%4%

9%12%

5%0%0%

Yes

No

17%

83%Regular

Irregular

Male Female

53% 47%

Registration point

People assisted from the point of registration

Registration point

Destination of the assisted people

5

Accompanied minors3

Total of voluntaryreturn assistances

3Already includes in the total voluntary return assistance.

Close-up of Returns from MexicoClose-up of Returns from MexicoReturns from Mexico: Returns from Mexico: 1,167 1,167

SymbologySymbologySymbologySymbology

6

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

OCCUPATIONAL SECTOR

Most of these migrants (46%) attended Primary school: 37 per cent of them completed. It should be noted that 12 per cent of migrants without formal education are children under the age of 5 who have not entered formal schooling, while 88 per cent are either children between the age of 8 and 12 (4%), or adults (84%) who never received formal education.

The 18 per cent of migrants performing paid and unpaid domestic work, as well as migrants working in crafting and forestry are women. On the other hand, 100 per cent of people working in transportation and private security are men. Among agricultural worker, 90 per cent were men and 10 per cent were women. In the retail sector, 71 per cent were female workers and 29 per cent male workers.

Most migrants who applied for Assisted Voluntary Return declared to be students: 27 per cent were children under the age of 12, 10 per cent children aged 13 to 17, and 1 per cent were adults between 36 and 45 years old.

REASONS FOR MIGRATING

As reported in the graph, seeking better conditions (48%), especially looking for job opportunities (51%), and family reunification (36%), were the main reasons for leaving the country of origin.

REASONS FOR RETURNING

The main factors leading migrants to apply for Assisted Voluntary Return are: Long wait for the appointment (31%), denied procedure (30%) and family reunification (26%).

Better conditions


Violence and insecurity

48%

1%36%

3%12%0%

<1%

Domestic services

2%Domestic serviceswithout payment

18%Students

40%Retail

8%Agriculture

20%Manufacture

2%Construction

3%Diverse services

2%

Arts and crafts

Public deputy

PrivateSecurity

<1% <1%1%Food

services

1%Health services

Hospitality Publicservices

<1%<1% <1%Transport

1%


X

28%

10%

46%16%

Other

No education

Primary school

High school

30%

3%

31%

3%

26%

1%

5%

1%

Long wait for the appointment

Process denied


Lack of financial resources

Looking for a job

Insecurity

Homelessness

Sick relative

Mechanics

1%

7

DISCLAIMERSThe opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.

IOM Regional Office for Central America, North America and the Caribbean

Sabana Business Center Building, Ernesto Rohrmoser Boulevard, San Jose Costa Rica.

Email: [email protected]

Phone number: +506 2212-5300

Website: http://rosanjose.iom.int/site/

INTENTIONS IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

The participants (46%) whose main purpose was to seek better living condition and job opportunities in the country of destination are planning to look for a job in the country of origin.

34 per cent of migrants whose main purpose was to pursue education are planning to go back to school once they reach the country of origin. Among them, 24 per cent are under the age of 12.

Working59%

Study32%

Reunite with family

8%Return

to home

1%

As displayed in the graph, 93 per cent of participants are traveling with at least one family member, which 46% are minors between 0 and 17 years old (notice that 35% are under 12 years old). Among migrants traveling alone (7%), only 40 per cent are women.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO TRAVEL

HEALTH CONDITION

Though most migrants reported to be in good health conditions, IOM staff could identify numerous cases of dehydration and sunburn, especially among children.The 62 per cent of migrants suffering from infections and 52 per cent of those suffering from respiratory conditions were children under the age of 12.


Family

Alone

93%

7%

<1%

3%

<1%

2%

1%

20%

1%

73%

Muscle disorders

Limb injuries

Lack of medications

Unspecified

Fatigue

Infection/s

Respiratory diseases

Healthy

Documents

SITREP Central America - Mexico 2018 - 1 December 2019 ... · Working 59% Return to home 12% Healthcare 1% Study 9% SITREP | Central America - Mexico | IOM Assisted Voluntary Return