Of the writing
La Jornada newspaper
Saturday, October 4, 2025, p. 13
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday recognized the progress made in Mexican federative entities in the protection and care of internal displaced persons, after concluding the third interregional forum on application of legislation and public policies related to internal displacement, carried out from October 1 to 3 in San Remo, Italy.
In the meeting – organized by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Human Rights of Internal displaced and UNHCR -, the representatives of Mexico shared experiences with local authorities from countries such as Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia and Ukraine.
The Forum addressed the connections between municipal and national policies in the attention and protection of people who are forced to leave their homes, according to a statement.
“Michoacán and Oaxaca have made significant advances in the protection of internal displaced persons. Their participation is extremely relevant, as they can share experiences and learn from their peers in other cities in the world,” said Giovanni Lepri, representative of the international organization in Mexico.
During the work sessions, the rapporteur Paula Gaviria Betancur stressed that the displaced communities already contribute to the social and economic life of the cities that host them, also local authorities are usually the first to respond to this problem.
On the part of Michoacán, Estefanía Chávez Gutiérrez, head of the Unit for the Care of Migrants and their families, stressed the importance of the meeting to strengthen global cooperation: “We have been able to open spaces for dialogue, create cooperation bridges and advance solutions that put the human being in the center of the response.”
Internal forced displacement in Mexico remains a challenge, according to ACNUR. The National Victimization and Perception Survey on Public Security 2024, of INEGI, estimates that more than 248 thousand homes changed residence to protect themselves from crime, while civil organizations calculate between 26 thousand and 28 thousand people have been displaced by mass violence last year.
The world agency explained that currently, five states in the country have specific laws on the subject, and several more have developed protocols and inter -institutional coordination mechanisms.
