Mexico joins the governments that promote orderly, safe and dignified migration using the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI)

Mexico City - Mexico joined the 84 countries and 30 local authorities in the world that have begun to promote orderly, safe and responsible migration using the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI), created in 2015 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to meet target 10.7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The North American country became a global pioneer by starting to use at the state level, in Chihuahua and Oaxaca, a tool that can help improve the management of mixed migration flows in a country located in the most important migration corridor in the world. 

"The perception of states, cities and municipalities as key actors in the formulation of migration policies is closely related to a governance approach focused on identifying challenges, generating commitments and seeking greater participation of migrants and host communities," said Dana Graber Ladek, IOM Chief of Mission in Mexico, who led the presentation of the studies conducted with the collaboration of more than 60 organizations and public institutions in Chihuahua and Oaxaca. 

From the report of Chihuahua, border state with the United States, she highlighted that since 2020 migrants are already subjects of priority attention in state budgets, that an amount is dedicated to their protection with special attention to migrant children and adolescents, and that state policies for the care of migrants are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, which is being disseminated at the municipal level. 

From the analysis of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, she highlighted that the migrant population is considered in local legislation as a vulnerable group to work with, to whom professional and technical training is provided regardless of their migratory status, and that these people have access to basic education and health services, which is essential given the current global pandemic situation. 

The role of civil society organizations has been preponderant in providing legal and humanitarian assistance to migrants transiting the Isthmus migratory route. Some pending challenges are also pointed out.

Since they were created by IOM in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the IGMs have helped national and local governments identify strengths and areas of development potential to ensure good migration management. 

In the Americas region, 21 governments have already worked with this methodology: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. In 2021, ten new municipalities in the region and two new states in Mexico will be part of the IGM process. 

For more information, please contact Alberto Cabezas, IOM Mexico National Communications Officer, email: acabezas@iom.int tel.: +52 55 45 4525 8361.

Read other IGM reports in the region and worldwide here.