The United States government announced the elimination of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), known as 'Migrant Protection Protocols,' which involved the return of asylum seekers to Mexico while their cases were processed in U.S. courts. With this measure, the responsibility for processing asylum requests will fall solely on Mexico.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, no person with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) can apply for international asylum. This decision was made to ensure access to a complete and fair process for those seeking humanitarian protection.
One of the main arguments for accepting the unilateral removal of non-Mexican individuals to Mexico is the humanitarian burden that processing asylum requests from multiple nationalities represents for the United States. In this sense, Mexico is not legally obligated to process these requests, although the possibility of applying for asylum in the United States remains.
Previously, both Mexico and the United States shared the operational and logistical responsibility of processing asylum requests under the MPP. Each country was responsible for a specific group of nationalities, but with the elimination of this program, full responsibility for processing asylum requests is transferred to Mexico.
To provide support to Mexican individuals in the United States and Canada who wish to return to Mexico, the Information and Assistance Center for Mexican Individuals (CIAM) has been established, available 24 hours a day. Contact numbers have been provided for calls from both the United States and Canada as well as Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, president, and Juan Ramón de la Fuente, chancellor, have issued supportive messages to Mexicans abroad, highlighting the importance of consular services and the available consular network to provide assistance in various situations. Additionally, there has been mention of the digitization of consular services for more effective and timely attention to the Mexican community abroad.
