Mexico - The Mexican Ministry of Interior, through the Undersecretary for Population, Migration and Religious Affairs, the National Migration Institute of Mexico (INM) and the Mexican Commission for Refugees Aid (COMAR) have signed a Letter of Intent with IOM and the UN system in Mexico to implement a programme to protect migrants transiting the country en route to the USA.   

The USD 3.1 million, two-year programme: “Supporting the strengthening of government institutions and civil society capacities to improve the protection of vulnerable migrants in transit,” is funded by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS).

Mexico is a country of origin, transit, destination and return for migrants. As a conduit for irregular migration, particularly from Central and South America en route to the USA, it faces complex migration management challenges, including how to protect vulnerable migrants in transit.

This project, which was developed and will be implemented under IOM Mexico's leadership, is the result of a collaboration between IOM, UN Global Migration Group (GMG) agencies including UNHCR, UNFPA, UNODC, UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF and ILO, and the Mexican government, in the framework of the fourth Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) which took place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 2010.  

Its objectives include establishing mechanisms to improve protection for migrants in transit, fostering the sharing and exchange of information between agencies, implementation of best practices, strengthening the operational capacity of governmental institutions, and complementing the work being done by civil society organizations to help migrants and their communities.

“The Mexican government has made major efforts to improve the management of migratory flows and to encourage the active participation of government bodies, civil society and international agencies in its efforts to protect vulnerable migrants. Its support for this project further underlines its commitment to the welfare of migrants transiting the country,” says IOM Mexico Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss.

For more information please contact

Jeremy MacGillivray
IOM Mexico
Tel: +52 55 5536 3922
Email: jmacgillivray@iom.int