Roberto Garduno
Newspaper La Jornada
Monday February 27, 2023, p. 17
From January 2013 to January 2023, the Mexican authority admitted 94,179 people as refugees and granted complementary protection to 8,920, but classified as unrecognized 42,033 citizens of other nationalities who submitted applications but did not comply with the imposed requirements. Thus, recognized foreigners and those who obtained complementary protection add up to 103 thousand 99 in total.
From the figures of the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees (Comar) it can be deduced that of the people recognized in the last 10 years, Hondurans add up to 42,800; Venezuelans, 22,210; Salvadorans, 13,976; Haitians, 2,897; Cubans, 4,768; Guatemalans, 3,877; Nicaraguans, 1,899, and others, 1,752.
On the other hand, those not recognized in that period were of the following nationalities: Hondurans, 10,967; Venezuelans, 762; Salvadorans, 4,721; Haitians, 12,331; Cubans, 5,181; Guatemalans, 3,097; Nicaraguans, one thousand, 353, and from other countries, 3,621.
During 2022, the highest record of requests by delegation occurred in Tapachula, Chiapas, with 76,261, followed by Mexico City, with 17,637; in Palenque they totaled 7,966, Veracruz received 7,759, Tabasco 5,718, and Baja California 3,415, with a total of 118,756.
It is expected that in 2023 the number of requests will increase, because in January in Tapachula the authority received 6,876; Mexico City, 3,692; Palenque, 933; Tabasco, 729; Veracruz, 479, and Baja California, 154, for a total of 12,863.
Last year, by nationality, the citizens of Honduras were the ones that added the most number of applications, with 31 thousand 92; Cubans, 18 thousand 95; Haitians, 17 thousand 153; Venezuelans, 14,915; Nicaraguans, 8,984; Salvadorans, 7,806; Guatemalans, 5,269; Brazilians, 2,594; Colombians, 2,490; Dominicans, 1,432, and other nationalities, 8,935.
In the first month of this year, Haitians are the ones that have presented the greatest number of petitions to obtain refugee status, with 4,305; Hondurans, 2,837; Venezuelans, 1,337; Cubans, 872; Salvadorans, 562; Guatemalans, 468; Afghans, 430; Brazilians, 408; Chileans, 365; Nicaraguans, 277, and from other countries, one thousand two.
The Comar authorities estimate that this year shows signs of an increase in demand, because in January 2021 6,497 were registered, in the same month of 2022, 5,834, and in the past there were 12,000. 863.
