Mexico - IOM Mexico’s Chief of Mission, Thomas Lothar Weiss met this week with the Governor of the southern Mexican State of Veracruz, Javier Duarte de Ochoa, to discuss the State’s interests and most important challenges regarding migration issues.
 
Veracruz is part of the main transit route used by thousands of irregular migrants travelling through Mexico.  According to the Mexican National Migration Institute’s latest estimates, some 150,000 migrants, mostly from Central America, enter the southern border each year with the intention of reaching the United States.  

Most these migrants travel in extremely precarious conditions on the so called Bestia, or Beast, the freight train which travels from the State of Chiapas to northern Mexico, passing through Veracruz.  During their transit, migrants are exposed to theft, extortion, rape, kidnapping and even death.  

Veracruz is also one the most important states of origin of internal migrants in Mexico, as well as of return of migrants.  Recent statistics captured by IOM Mexico place the State in 5th position regarding deportations from the United States.

The recent discussions with the Government of Veracruz seek to expand areas of cooperation in order to support the strengthening of the government’s capacities to manage migration flows in the State.

Immediate plans include the signing of a cooperation agreement and the development of a three-month diagnostic on the migration situation in Veracruz, including irregular transit migration, labour migration, returning migrants, and trafficking in persons.

“IOM Mexico will lead the implementation of an interagency programme in Chiapas and Oaxaca, financed by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security, in order to improve assistance to vulnerable migrants in transit.  This newly established cooperation with the State of Veracruz will allow IOM to follow the natural transit routes through Mexico, and improve assistance to these extremely vulnerable populations,” explained Weiss.

IOM Mexico recently opened a sub-office in Acayucan, Veracruz, as part of its Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, which has operated since 2005 in close coordination with the Mexican migration authorities.

For more information please contact

José Ramón CORDOBA
IOM Mexico
Tel: +52 55 5536 3922
Email: jcordoba@iom.int