The Fiji TimesMexico seeks to curb ‘abuse’ of asylum system by migrants who don’t plan to remain

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s overwhelmed asylum company is strengthening efforts to weed out excessive numbers of candidates who “abuse” the system whereas passing by Mexico to achieve the US, Mexico’s prime asylum official mentioned on Monday.

Mexico has the world’s third highest variety of asylum functions after the US and Germany, reflecting rising numbers of refugee seekers which have strained sources on the Mexican Fee for Refugee Help (COMAR).

As soon as migrants request asylum, they’re exempt from deportation and are eligible to hunt work, motivating many to file functions even with out the intent to remain in Mexico, mentioned Andres Ramirez, COMAR’s director.

“It’s an abuse of the asylum system,” he instructed reporters at COMAR’s busy Mexico Metropolis workplace. “Treating COMAR like a sort of journey company.”

The company not too long ago started a pilot within the southern metropolis of Tapachula close to the Guatemala border, the place it has its greatest load of candidates, geared at rapidly rejecting circumstances that don’t advantage asylum, Ramirez added.

He famous some candidates falsely consider COMAR distributes permits permitting journey inside Mexico. In actuality, asylum seekers sometimes should keep within the state the place they started their circumstances.

“This has put us in a scenario of near-breakdown,” Ramirez instructed a information convention.

COMAR obtained near 119,000 functions final yr, barely fewer than the yr earlier than.

This January, the quantity greater than doubled from the identical month in 2022. The claims included 430 from Afghans – a hovering improve from previous years.

But Ramirez famous many Afghans are unlikely to see out their circumstances in Mexico, the place so many facets of day by day life from faith to meals are so completely different than house.

“Many Afghans don’t crucial need to keep in Mexico,” he mentioned. “In the US, there’s a a lot greater Afghan neighborhood than what we now have right here.”