Mexico, Central America cite COVID-19 concern over migration
The Mexican government says it and 10 other countries in North and Central America are worried about the health risk of Covid-19 among migrants without proper documents
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Mexican government said Wednesday that it and 10 other countries in North and Central America are worried about the health risks of COVID-19 among migrants without proper documents.
The statement by the 11-member Regional Conference on Migration suggests that Mexico and Central America could continue to turn back migrants on the basis of the perceived risks of the pandemic.
The group “expressed concern over the exposure of irregular migrants to situations of high risk to their health and their lives, primarily during the health emergency.”
Over the last year, authorities in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have turned back or stopped migrant caravans seeking to reach the U.S. border, in some cases demanding they show visas or negative coronavirus tests.
The group expressed its support for “safe, orderly and regulated” migration.
The group has also stressed the need to improve conditions in southern Mexico and Central America, so people won’t feel forced to emigrate.
The regional conference includes the United States, Canada, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.