The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Asylum Access Mexico, the Institute for Women in Migration, and Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center cordially invite you to our webinar:
Mexico is increasingly becoming a destination for migrants fleeing untenable conditions in Central America and beyond, many people that in another moment may have only viewed Mexico as a transit country on their journey to the United States. Asylum requests in Mexico dramatically increased in recent years, rising by ove 1,950% between 2015 and 2019. More than 119,000 people have requested protection in Mexico since president Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018. This is an unprecedented level of requests for protection that Mexico’s current infrastructure was not built to provide.
In recent years, even with many financial limitations Mexico’s refugee agency, COMAR, has taken steps to strengthen and increase its presence in the country. Additionally, with assistance from the United States and other donors, the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) has significantly expanded its operations in Mexico. However, significant operational and resource challenges persist, and as a result those seeking asylum in Mexico face serious obstacles to request protection and for the prompt and effective processing of their claims.
Join WOLA, IMUMI, Asylum Access Mexico and the Fray Matias de Cordova Human Rights Center, on Wednesday, March 3 at 1 p.m. EST for a conversation on access to asylum in Mexico. Following a brief introduction contextualizing the situation, the panelists will discuss how the process currently works, analyze what can be done to protect asylum seekers and improve processing, and suggest ways for the U.S. and Mexican governments to expand cooperation to address the current protection crisis.
Event Details:
Wednesday, March 3, 2021 1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. -13:00 p.m. CDMX
This webinar will also be livestreamed on the WOLA YouTube Page.
Panelists:
Lorena Cano
Judicial Clinic Coordinator of IMUMI, the Institute for Women in Migration
Daniel Berlin
Deputy Director of Asylum Access Mexico
Yuriria Salvador
Coordinator, Structural Change Area, Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center, Chiapas
Moderator:
WOLA Vice President for Programs
Simultaneous interpretation between English and Spanish will be available.