The Mexican government must listen to the individual stories of those fleeing Honduras and inform them of their right to seek asylum, said Amnesty International today in response to news that the Mexican government deployed its federal police chief to its southern border to await the arrival of a caravan of over 1,600 people from Honduras, including dozens of families and children.
“Mexican authorities should not take a Trump approach treating people like a security threat. These families deserve dignity and respect to ensure that no one is illegally returned to situations where they could risk serious harm due to violence,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Amnesty International recently published a report that demonstrates that the Mexican government is failing to meet its treaty obligations under international law to respect the rights of those in need of international protection. The report found that 75% of a group of people surveyed by Amnesty International detained by Mexican migrations authorities were not informed of their right to seek asylum in Mexico.
“Mexican authorities must respect their obligations under international law and identify the needs of each individual member of the caravan, avoiding the detention of migrants at all costs, and prohibiting the detention of children.”
Migrating without papers is not a crime, and many of these individuals could be fleeing violence in their home country with the intention of seeking asylum in Mexico. Prohibiting the entry of these people into Mexico and returning them to Honduras would be a breach of international law.