14 things to know about Haiti-Mexico ties and Mexican-Haitians  

Haïti U17 women’s soccer team during their match against Mexico at the headquarters of the Mexican Football Federation in Toluca, Mexico on February 5, 2024. Photo credit: Concacaf Women Under-17 Championship.

Haitian migration through Mexico 

Bordered by the U.S. to the north and by Guatemala and Belize to the south, Mexico serves as a thoroughfare for people and goods moving between Latin America, the Caribbean and North America and even some who fly there from farther parts to then continue to America. 

Haitians are among the convoys that travel from South and Central America, through the infamous Darien Gap, after living in places like Chile and Brazil or flying to Guatemala. For most, that means staying in points of first entry like Tapachula to be processed. As a result, Haitians in Tapachula have grown in number considerably.

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As more Haitians have made their way through Mexico, the country has opened refugee camps for those waiting to file asylum with U.S. authorities. 

In September 2021, as thousands of Haitians built encampments in Del Rio, Texas, Haiti opened consular offices in Chiapas and Tabasco to assist with voluntary returns to Haiti. Also in 2021, Mexico issued 41,409 humanitarian visas to Haitian asylum seekers, allowing them to stay and work in Mexico.

Mexican-Haitians in Mexico

Nearly 7,000 Haiti-born residents were living with authorization throughout Mexico in 2021, mostly in Baja California, Tabasco and Veracruz. Counting all people of Haitian descent across generations, the estimated Haitian population in Mexico is reportedly closer to 72,000.

Haitian labor in Mexico represents a significant and growing aspect of the country’s labor market, particularly in border cities and key industries, notably construction, agriculture and services.

Since 2019, Haitians have been among the five nationalities to receive the most work permits in Mexico on humanitarian grounds. In 2019, 858 permits were issued to Haitian nationals. In 2023, the number increased to 36,000.

Many Haitians in Mexico actively seek more inclusiveness in the larger Mexican society. Some have challenged systemic discrimination that Afro-Mexicans and indigenous populations often face, aiming for policies recognizing their rights and dignity.

Sources: Mexico’s Office of Migration, The Haitian Times’ Haitians in Mexico, The Haitian Times’ Haitians in Tapachula, El Pais, Voice of America, Haiti–Mexico_relations, Mexico  United Nations: Haitian Immigrants in Mexico, Immigration Law in English                

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Publish date : 2024-06-05 08:59:12

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