Mexico pledges to safely transport migrants to the US border

Mexico has announced a new initiative that seeks to improve conditions and safety for non-Mexican migrants who have asylum appointments in the United States. Under the new policy, Mexico will offer escorted bus rides from cities in the south of the country to the U.S. border. The measure aims to allow migrants to apply and wait for their appointments from safer areas, rather than traveling north and facing more dangerous and overcrowded conditions in Mexico City and border cities.

The policy change was announced on August 31, after the U.S. government expanded access to CBP One applications, which are immigration forms that grant 20 days of conditional stay at the border to asylum seekers. While CBP One appointments were previously only granted to individuals in northern and central Mexico, it is now extended to southern Mexico, which will help the United States manage the asylum process more effectively and reduce the impact of overcrowding in border areas and cities.

The initiative that will provide transportation to migrants will include a 20-day transit permit, allowing them to legally pass through Mexico while traveling to the northern border. This new Mexican government policy seeks to address several problems faced by migrants awaiting asylum appointments. Migrants are dissatisfied with conditions in southern Mexico, where waiting times are longer and there are not as many job opportunities, and where they may also face violence and other risks from the presence of organized crime.

The departure points will be the Migratory Station in Villahermosa, Tabasco, and the Southern Zone Migratory Regulation office in Tapachula, Chiapas, which is the main border crossing between Mexico and Guatemala, where a large number of migrants enter.

The buses will be accompanied by local, state and federal agents to enhance security along the journey. Similarly, Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) stated that migrants will receive food during their journey, so they will not have to worry about earning or spending money during their stay in Mexico.

Although prior to the announcement there have been reports of asylum seekers with appointments being stopped at checkpoints and then sent south, causing them to miss their scheduled appointments, Mexican authorities have promised to honor the appointments of those who can prove they have one.

The Mexican government has pushed for expanded access to CBP One applications as a way to address the problems faced by migrants in Mexico City. Over the past year, many migrants have chosen to wait for their asylum appointments in the country’s capital because of greater job opportunities and better security compared to the drug-controlled areas near the border. However, this has caused the city to suffer from migrant overcrowding, complicating life for those waiting for their appointments.

What is CBP One?

CBP One is a mobile app designed to help migrants schedule appointments to enter the United States; it is completely free and available for download in the Apple and Google Play app stores. No payment is required to use it, and it is accessible to anyone with a mobile device. All migrants without sufficient documentation to be legally admitted to the United States can register and request an appointment through CBP One. Once registered, users can request an appointment daily. Appointments are assigned at 12.00 EST and are chosen randomly, although a percentage is reserved for those who have waited the longest.

To request an appointment, it is necessary to select the registration that includes all family members or traveling companions with the same United States destination address, and submit an application. Migrants must request an appointment each day if they do not receive one initially, as there is no way to edit the registration once submitted. CBP One does not allow the purchase of appointments, and any attempt to do so is fraudulent. In addition, having an appointment through CBP One does not imply an asylum application and no United States sponsor is needed for the process. In the event of registration errors, users should delete the incorrect registration and re-register with the correct information.

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