48 asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela, including 8 families and 8 children aged from 1 to 17 years old, are at risk of forcible return to their countries where they are at risk of persecution.

The Comisión Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados (COMAR), Mexico’s refugee agency, has failed to provide them with certificates confirming they have filed asylum claims, despite some of the requests going back as far as January 2017. The certificates are usually issued shortly after a claim is lodged. In seven of the cases certificates were issued, valid for 45 days. Since their expiry, COMAR has failed to provide new certificates.

The National Institute of Migration (INM) has also denied these asylum seekers their right to a one-year humanitarian visa, which Mexican law stipulate asylum seekers are entitled to whilst their claim is in process. The INM claims it requires a valid certificate from COMAR for this, although there are other ways it could validate that a person is an asylum seeker.

The asylum seekers are currently living in precarious conditions in Saltillo, in the north of Mexico. The INM carried out routine raids in the city and without the papers issued by COMAR the asylum seekers are at risk of detention and deportation back to the countries they have fled.

Legal representatives have sent urgent communications to COMAR requesting the certificates but received no response. They have also lodged injunctions before federal judges, who have yet to provide a resolution.

Please write to the INM and COMAR calling on them to issue the asylum seekers with confirmation certificates and humanitarian visas. Template letters are attached.

Template letters:

Gerardo García Benavente
Comisionado del Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM)
Avenida Homero 1832, Polanco
Los Morales Polanco
Ciudad de México
México, C.P. 11510 

Email: ggbenavente@inami.gob.mx

Sr. Comisionado

I am deeply concerned about the 48 people, including children, from Honduras, El Salvador and Venezuela, who are temporarily living in Saltillo. I understand they may be deported. If they are forced to return to their native countries, they are at risk of grave human rights violations.  

I strongly urge you to issue the necessary humanitarian visas for these 48 asylum seekers while their claims are being processed, as stipulated by Mexican law.

Cordialmente

Elisabeth Cataño Navarro
Directora de la COMAR
Av. Ejército Nacional 862,
Los Morales
Ciudad de México
México C.P. 11540
Email: ecatano@segob.gob.mx

Sra. Cataño Navarro 

I am deeply concerned about the 48 people, including children, from Honduras, El Salvador and Venezuela, who are temporarily living in Saltillo. I understand they may be deported.  If they are forced to return to their native countries, they are at risk of grave human rights violations.  

It is reported that the Comisión Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados has failed to provide the certificates required to prove they are requesting asylum.  Urgent appeals to do so have gone unanswered. I respectfully ask you to issue the certificates as soon as possible.

I also strongly urge you to quickly analyse and resolve these cases, taking into account the families’ dire situation.

Cordialmente