A Flawed Asylum System in Mexico, Strained Further by U.S. Changes<br />Kids said that Central American children fleeing violence<br />and persecution in their countries of origin continue to face significant barriers to accessing international protection in Mexico,<br />While the Mexican government has made improvements to its asylum program in recent years<br />and has awarded protection at increasingly higher rates, the system remains deeply flawed, leaving many migrants vulnerable to harm, according to at least seven reports published in recent weeks by American, Mexican, Central American and international groups focused on human rights and migration.<br />A bill pending in Congress "would allow the return of apprehended Central American refugees to Mexico, where they could apply for protection," without<br />the need for a bilateral agreement with Mexico, according to a summary from the House Judiciary Committee, which approved the bill last month.<br />Human Rights First said that would undermine U.S. global leadership and violate American legal commitments, even if Mexico had a strong refugee prote<br />Alejandra said that There’s a lack of education both for the foreigners and for the people who have first contact with them,<br />Advocates warn that unless the asylum system is improved<br />and made more accessible, more migrants with justifiable claims to protection might decide it’s simply not worth the effort to apply in Mexico and will continue to press north to the United States, despite the uncertainties there.<br />These weaknesses are particularly glaring, advocates say, as some legislators in Washington push for a legal change<br />that would require migrants to apply for asylum in Mexico if they reached the United States by traveling through it.
