Diplomatic leaders from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and seven other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have expressed their “grave concern” over the mass deportation plans announced by Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States. These leaders believe that the measure disregards human rights and could worsen migration issues.
Trump’s announcement promises to be the largest operation of foreign deportations in U.S. history. According to the official statement, the signing countries believe this approach does not address the root causes of migration, such as the lack of opportunities in the migrants’ home countries.
A Call to Respect Human Rights
In their statement, shared by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the countries urged that migration policies be handled with a humanistic approach. They emphasized that all migrants have fundamental rights that must be respected, regardless of their legal status.
The document, consisting of 14 points, highlights the commitments of the signing countries to:
- Defend the rights of migrants.
- Reject their criminalization.
- Protect migrants from criminal organizations that exploit their vulnerability.
An Initiative to Work Together
The participating countries also suggested reactivating meetings of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to seek joint solutions to the migration problem.
Mexico organized a regional meeting called “Human Mobility on the Northern Route of the Continent” on the initiative of President Claudia Sheinbaum and her Honduran counterpart, Xiomara Castro. This gathering aims to create a space for countries to discuss proposals and work together to address the challenges of migration.
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