More Than 8,000 Mexican Nationals Brought Home Amid Health Concerns

By Jason Peña on April 6, 2020

On Friday, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard announced the return of 8,301 Mexican citizens as of April 2.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Mexican government has worked to bring back its citizens who remain stranded abroad. Federal authorities began returning Mexican nationals in January.

According to government officials, many Mexicans were overseas for work, education, or leisure.

Despite border-tightening measures in other countries, Mexican diplomats have been working with foreign governments to lift land, air, and sea travel restrictions to expedite transportation arraignments.

Additionally, government officials have commissioned domestic and international airlines along with military aircraft to bring their citizens home.

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Maximiliano Reyes, said the past 40 days have yielded successful reparations to Mexico and those results have allowed for more Mexican nationals to return.

However, Ebrard stated that there could be some difficulties with repatriations: "The decision is to do everything in our hands, in diplomatic and operative terms, to assist our countrymen abroad. What would complicate things is countries who have hardened measures, that is the decision of each territory, and we have to respect it."

He continued: "but nothing is expensive when it comes returning our people home."

Undersecretary of Exterior Relations for Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East Julian Ventura, shared that sentiment: "We do not close the door or the gate [on the contrary]; we work 100% and under pressure so that Mexicans can return."

Latin America, Europe, and Asia were the main areas from which Mexicans returned.

The table below shows the number of repatriations by region:


Region Number of
Returned
Mexicans
Latin America 3,605
Europe 3,392
Asia 649
Africa 496
Middle East 159
Total 8,301

Topics: Mexico