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IOM Mexico, Chiapas Open Assistance Office for Migrants and Refugees

Mexico - IOM and the Chiapas authorities have opened an Assistance Office for Migrants and Refugees in the Chiapas municipality of Suchiate that will provide assistance to vulnerable migrants and refugees. 

The initiative is backed by IOM, through its Regional Programme for Mesoamerica, the local government of Suchiate and the Secretariat for Development of the Southern Border and Liaison for International Cooperation (SPDFSyECI by its Spanish acronym).

The office will identify vulnerable migrants and provide assistance based on their specific needs through referrals and coordination. It will inform them about their rights while in Mexico and provide information to help them avoid becoming victims of crime on the migratory route.

In 2014 the State of Chiapas registered the entry of 1,265,916 migrants, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Migration (INM by its Spanish acronym). Out of this number, 479,049 people (38 per cent) entered through Suchiate, making it one of the main points of entry on the country’s southern border.

Speaking at the opening, Mayor of Suchiate Javier Cruz Aguilar said that because Suchiate is a key municipality in terms of migration, the initiative presents “an excellent opportunity to implement strategies that could benefit everyone, regardless of their nationality or origin.”

IOM Mexico Chief of Mission Christopher Gascon noted that the office will be an integral part of the local government, which “generates more trust and is a starting point to protect the human rights of migrants, as it supported by the law.”

“IOM plans to open more offices like this one along the migratory corridor, including in Central America,” he added.

Under-Secretary for Assistance to Migrants of SPDFSyECI Victor Moguel said that migration itself is not a problem – the problem is the fact that migrants suffer. “This initiative is about respecting their rights and offering them services to cover their basic needs,” he said.

For further information, please contact Claudette Walls at IOM Mexico, Tel: +52 962 642-5674, Email:cwalls@iom.int