On 9 December, Mexico’s federal attorney general’s office (FGR) announced that it was launching an investigation into a road accident that killed over 50 migrants in Chiapas state.
Analysis:
The accident, which has left at least 54 dead and over 100 injured, is one of the worst single-day death tolls for migrants in Mexico’s history. The incident will pile pressure on President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government over the protection of migrant rights at a time when it faces increased scrutiny following the recent resumption of the controversial migrant protection protocol (MPP), also known as the ‘Remain in Mexico’ programme.
- The accident occurred when a truck carrying migrants from Guatemala lost control on the road between the municipalities of Chiapa de Corzo and Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Chiapas state). According to the Chiapas civil protection agency, a local government body, those killed or injured in the accident come from Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
- The FGR will work with the specialised prosecutor’s offices for human rights (FEMDH) and regional control (FECOR) to carry out the investigation. Mexico’s national migration institute (INM), which will also assist the investigation, stated it will offer humanitarian support to survivors including accommodation, food, and visitor cards for humanitarian reasons, which give migrants access to health services, education and formal work in Mexico.
- The accident comes days after the resumption of the MPP, which forces migrants who are seeking asylum in the US to stay in Mexico while their application is processed. The programme has been criticised on humanitarian grounds and exposes the US and Mexican governments to scrutiny over the treatment of migrants. The latest deaths in Chiapas will exacerbate this scrutiny.
- The accident prompted a response from top officials across Mexico and Central America. López Obrador said he “deeply regrets” the “very painful” incident. Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei expressed his solidarity with victims’ relatives, while El Salvador’s foreign minister, Alexandra Hill, said her government was working to confirm whether Salvadoreans were involved in the crash.
Looking Ahead: The incident is the latest contradiction to the US and Mexico's pledge to “prioritise respect for and the guarantee of [migrants’] human rights”. In a week where both governments have come under fire for restarting the unpopular MPP, the accident will intensify pressure on López Obrador to put the safeguarding of migrants before US demands to stem migration flows.