Through October, 62,299 people have applied for asylum in Mexico this year, nearly triple the 21,057 who applied during the same period last year. The number of applicants so far this year exceeds the previous six full years combined.
Figure 1. Asylum Applications in Mexico: 2019 Source: Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance |
Andres Ramirez, head of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), tweeted that of the 62,299, 23,475 have received permission to stay, either as refugees or with "complementary protection" (described by the Congressional Research Service as "relief from deportation but not permanent residency" for those who don't quality for asylum). The geographical distinction in U.S. law between refugees (who apply from abroad) and asylees (who apply in the United States) doesn't apply here, so someone who is granted asylum in Mexico is called a refugee.
Most applicants for asylum in Mexico were from Central America; the top-10 countries are shown below:
|
|
|
| Country of Origin | Number of Migrants Applying for Asylum in Mexico (January-October 2019) |
| Honduras | 27,750 |
| El Salvador | 8,236 |
| Cuba | 7,195 |
| Venezuela | 6,544 |
| Haiti | 4,583 |
| Guatemala | 3,243 |
| Nicaragua | 2,056 |
| Brazil | 495 |
| Colombia | 444 |
| Cameroon | 344 |
| All Others | 1,409 |
| Total | 62,299 |
|
|
|