Issues of immigration, both in-bound (from Central America in particular) and out-bound (largely to the United States, but to many other countries as well), form a part of the electoral debate as well.
News and Analysis:
- 4/25/2012: Mexican President Felipe Calderón (PAN) seeks credit for the drop in migration flows to the United States:
“We are creating opportunities, job opportunities in Mexico, education opportunities for young people, health services and healthcare for the entire nation,” Calderon said in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
- 7/6/2011: The New York Times reports on dropping numbers of undocumented immigrants from Mexico in the United States:
The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of illegal immigrants to the United States over the past 30 years has sputtered to a trickle, and research points to a surprising cause: unheralded changes in Mexico that have made staying home more attractive.
A growing body of evidence suggests that a mix of developments — expanding economic and educational opportunities, rising border crime and shrinking families — are suppressing illegal traffic as much as economic slowdowns or immigrant crackdowns in the United States.
- 7/6/2011: NPR’s special on Central American migrants:
Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants illegally cross from Mexico into the United States. Some of them have traveled thousands of miles to reach American soil. The journey, which was always perilous, has become even more dangerous as Mexican drug cartels strengthen their control over the smuggling, kidnapping and extortion of migrants. In 2010, hundreds of migrants went missing or were killed in Mexico. More than 20,000 were kidnapped.
- 5/31/2011: PRD calls for a new immigration institute:
No parece que es urgente resolver la situación de los migrantes en México, que viven una pesadilla, una serie de abusos, de violaciones sistemáticas a sus derechos humanos por las propias autoridades”.
“Se necesita clausurar el Instituto Nacional de Migración corrupto hasta el tuétano y crear un nuevo organismo encargado de hacer valer el derecho de los migrantes, de respetar la vida y su integridad física como lo marca la constitución mexicana”, indicó Dolores Padierna.
- 4/27/2011: Josefina Vázquez Mota (PAN) and other party leaders committed to migrants:
“Mi bancada les dará todos sus votos para que se apruebe ya la Ley de Migración porque es el camino para tener un marco legal más justo. Aunque no es lo único que hay que hacer, es indispensable”, afirmó la coordinadora del PAN, Josefina Vázquez Mota, al recibir a una comisión de migrantes.
- 3/7/2011: PRI in Congress aims to modify immigration law:
La bancada del PRI en la Cámara deDiputados adelantó que para evitar abusos de autoridad, modificarán la minuta de Ley de Migración avalada por el Senado, que actualmente es analizada en comisiones de San Lázaro.
El diputado del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) , Fernando Morales, reconoció que si bien el Senado modificó la iniciativa original del Ejecutivo, aún existe preocupación de organizaciones civiles por la posible persecución y criminalización de los migrantes.
