![]() Jose Antonio Silva, migration project coordinator for Doctors without Borders in Mexico City, says his organization is concerned about health and living conditions for those currently in overcrowded shelters or living on the streets. On one of the world's most dangerous migrant routes, a cartel makes millions off the American dream ![]() Meanwhile, the number of migrants living in limbo as they wait in Mexico City for their asylum claims has become dangerously unsustainable, aid groups say. Matos said she met countless migrants fleeing danger in their home countries who were waiting in Mexico in dangerous conditions, and many of them experienced glitches, facial recognition issues for those with darker skin and language access problems. “The CBP One app is a logistical and humanitarian failure that should not be replicated by Mexico or any other country,” Matos said. “You shouldn’t have to schedule an appointment when you’re running for your life,” says Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center who has witnessed the use of the CBP One app first hand. Still, immigration experts warn against using apps in the asylum process. But there is a significant difference, as Ramírez points out: unlike the CBP One app, his agency’s app allows individuals to apply from inside Mexican territory. Mexico’s asylum software application is similar to CBP One, in that individuals start the process by entering their information online, which is hoped to speed up the processing. Migrants eat on mats inside a shelter in the San Luis Tlaxialtemalco Forest on May 26, 2023, in Mexico City. CBP also revamped the app earlier this month to address some of the concerns, and for the first time allowed people in central Mexico – not just on the US-Mexico border – to apply. US Customs and Border Protection has told CNN that the app has worked as intended and that more than 79,000 individuals have scheduled appointments since the app was launched in January 2023. Groups have also reported concerns about how the app’s facial recognition technology handles darker skin. The US CBP One app has been sharply criticized by immigrant advocacy groups, who point out that some migrants lack the resources to get a smartphone, absence of adequate internet access to use the app, and may struggle with language and literacy barriers. Ramírez also said that some individuals applying for asylum in Mexico City may still be waiting to get an appointment on US Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One App, through which users can make appointments to enter legally through a port of entry to make their case for asylum. Those hopes were punctured by a harsh new rule enacted by the Biden administration that bars most asylum-seekers who travelled through other countries from gaining protection in the United States if they enter the country illegally. He believes that the influx is in part the result of the end of Title 42 in the US, which brought many more people to Mexico in hopes of crossing the US-Mexico border. It is expected to launch next week in Mexico City only, with other areas expected to be added at a later date, according to Ramírez. The new app – called simply the “pre-registration system” – will allow individuals to register their intent to seek asylum online and is hoped to speed up processing. Ramírez said that for the first time in the history of his agency, during the first 18 days of May, more asylum applications were filed in Mexico City than in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, which borders Guatemala.ĭuring that time, 3,300 applications were filed in Mexico City and 3,000 in Tapachula, Ramírez said. “We’re having so many people that we simply cannot cope,” Ramírez said. Mexico is launching a new app to speed up its asylum process amid record levels of asylum seekers, even after a similar US app came under fierce criticism for glitches and difficulty of use.Īndrés Ramírez, head of Mexico’s refugee assistance agency (COMAR) told CNN he believed an app was necessary in order to manage an overwhelming number of asylum requests in Mexico City.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |