Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Mexican government to release illegal migrants from detention centers due to the risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
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President of the Left, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, " cannot maintain that his government respects the human rights of the Central American migrant brothers and, at the same time, implement policies that manifestly violate the international legal obligations to which it has subscribed Mexico to protect the human rights of migrants, "deplores the NGO in a statement released on Tuesday. " It shows an absolute disregard for their health and their dignity, " adds HRW.
The Mexican authorities " must respect their international legal obligations by immediately releasing migrants if they can no longer be deported to their country of origin or if they are arbitrarily detained ," said the organization. It refers in particular to Honduran and Salvadoran illegal immigrants who cannot return to their country because of border closures linked to Covid-19. Migrants in detention centers "are unable to prevent the transmission of the new coronavirus," warns the NGO, which estimates their number at around 4,000.
Revolt movements have taken place in recent weeks in several Mexican detention centers. To prevent the formation of new “ caravans ” of illegal migrants like those who left Central America in 2018 and 2019, Donald Trump has threatened Mexico with trade sanctions if he does not take measures to contain immigration clandestine to the United States. The government of President Lopez Obrador thus tightened its migration policy and deployed 26,000 soldiers to the southern and northern borders of Mexico to stem the influx of illegal immigrants.