Mexico was singled out for its dignified treatment of refugees this week, with the United Nations describing a joint Mexico-U.N. resettlement program as “an example of assimilation and solidarity” toward emigrants.
Mexico has supported more than 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers since establishing its Local Integration Program in 2016, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
50 mil personas refugiadas demuestran que con las herramientas adecuadas, existe un gran potencial para integrarse plenamente en México y contribuir a sus comunidades de acogida. https://t.co/REEAnDevww
— Giovanni Lepri (@giolepri) March 6, 2025
Giovanni Lepri — the UNHCR representative in Mexico — said on the social platform X that the program’s work demonstrates that “with the right tools, there is great potential to fully integrate [refugees who then can] contribute to their host communities.”
Lepri’s post came in response to a UNHCR social media post that praised Mexico for surpassing a significant milestone and demonstrating that “integration strengthens the entire society.”
“50,000 refugees and asylum seekers have found stability and opportunities to rebuild their lives,” the UNHCR wrote.
In a UNHCR press release on the topic, Lepri said Mexico’s asylum system and its legal framework allow asylum-seekers and refugees to assimilate in a practical and efficient manner.
“Mexico has become a nation where people forced to flee [from their homes] can find the stability they need to restart their lives with dignity,” Lepri said.
The acclaim for Mexico’s treatment of migrants contrasts with the policies being enacted in the U.S. by the Trump administration. It also is at variance with some activists’ claims of deceptive practices by Mexican immigration authorities.
The news agency Reuters reported on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would soon decide whether to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia.
And earlier in the week, according to the International Refugee Assistance Project’s website, a U.S. federal judge questioned the U.S. government’s termination of resettlement agencies’ contracts last week only 24 hours after the court stopped the government from implementing a refugee ban.
Mexico’s program proves to be win-win situation
UNHCR data indicates there are 20.3 million displaced persons in the Americas, the majority of whom are located in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In Mexico, the Local Integration Program has relocated refugees to industrial cities with government assistance, both local and federal, and contributions from the private sector.
The UNHCR noted that these refugees “have achieved stability and successful assimilation thanks to access to formal employment, health care, education and housing,” as well as being provided with a pathway to citizenship.
As a result, 94% of participants in the Local Integration Program find a formal job in the first month, 88% of refugee children are enrolled in schools and 60% of families that arrive in a state of poverty rise above that within a year.
“Thanks to the active participation of 650 companies, refugees [in Mexico] can contribute with their talents and experience to strengthen the economy,” and they generate US $15 million for the nation’s GDP each year, according to the UNHCR press release.
The UNHCR points out that the Local Integration Program was modified this year so as to assist Mexican citizens, those deported from other countries as well as women fleeing violence in their own communities.
With reports from La Jornada, Proceso and Relief Web
