Mexico - Working with Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM by its Spanish acronym), IOM is this week holding the first session of its training program for staff of 32 migratory stations and 26 temporary migrant accommodation facilities around the country.

The focus of the training is to strengthen the skills of 963 public officials working at INM’s migratory stations and its temporary establishments to ensure the protection of the human rights of migrants transiting through Mexico.

The migratory stations are equipped to provide up to 60 days of shelter for migrants, while the temporary facilities can accommodate migrants for periods of between 48 hours up to 60 days.

With support from civil society and academia, the stations offer legal counselling, medical care, access to showers, and room and board, as well as entertainment, educational and cultural activities.

According to the Ministry of Interior’s Migration Police Unit, between January and March 2014, a total of 25,118 migrants have used the services of the migratory stations and the federal and local INM offices.

The ten-day training, funded by the IOM Development Fund, is bringing together 50 officials from the federal delegations of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Quintana Roo and the Federal District (Mexico City metro area).

One of the training modules focuses on interagency collaboration and includes speakers from INM, IOM, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH); the United States Embassy and UNHCR. Other topics include: migration stations in the world, the legal framework of migration; human rights law; gender; crisis management; assistance to vulnerable groups; and trafficking and kidnapping of migrants.

Rogelio López Maya, Director of INM’s Center for Confidence Evaluation and Control, said: “Migrants must find physical and emotional health, as well as legal guarantees for a dignified return to their countries of origin.  This training program is one of the most important projects of our Institute as it promotes ethics and dedication to service of migration agents.”

IOM Chief of Mission in Mexico Thomas Lothar Weiss said: “This workshop will impact positively on the performance of public servants in charge of Mexico’s migration management. But most importantly, it will ensure the dignity and welfare of the migrants they assist every day.”

For more information, please contact

Itzel Vivaldo
IOM Mexico
Email: ivivaldo@iom.int
Tel: +52 55 55 36 39 22