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.?
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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.?
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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.?
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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.?
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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.?? |