Growing numbers of young Ecuadorians trying to travel illegally to
the USA are being apprehended and detained in Mexico.

Of 439 Ecuadorians helped to voluntarily return home from Mexico
by IOM since October 2005, 30 were minors aged between 14 and 17,
and 80 were between 18 and 20.

Many of the young people, most of whom came from Cañar,
Azuay, and Loja in the south of Ecuador, were trying to rejoin
parents already in the USA. In some cases parents had paid human
smugglers large sums to reunite them with their children.

Many of the young people said that they had embarked on the
journey with very little information about the risks and dangers
associated with irregular migration.

Eighteen-year-old Luis recently returned to Ecuador from Mexico
with IOM’s help. “The trip from Ecuador to Mexico took
several weeks. And after we managed to arrive in Mexico, it was
very painful to be captured by the police.  IOM’s
assistance made us feel safe, even though our only choice was to
return to our country empty-handed,” he says.

Mexico is a country of origin, transit and destination for
migrants.  In the last decade, millions of migrants have
transited through the country by land, air, or sea on their way to
the USA. Many are exploited by human smugglers or traffickers.

In August 2004 IOM signed an agreement with Mexico’s
National Migration Institute allowing it to offer assisted
voluntary return to detained migrants wishing to return home
voluntarily.

For more information, please contact:

Katherin Renjifo

IOM Ecuador

Tel: 593.2.4449.28 or 29

E-mail: "mailto:krenjifo@oim.org.ec">krenjifo@oim.org.ec