Mexico has become an exemplar of refugee settlement in the wake of the US’ new draconian immigration policies with 50,000 successful recent settlement outcomes, the United Nations had reported.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR has helped to support the integration into Mexican communities of 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, it says.

UNHCR Mexico chief Giovanni Lepri says this is the result of a strong resettlement system welcoming communities.

“Mexico has become a country where people forced to flee can find the stability they need to restart their lives with dignity. A strong asylum system and legal framework allows an effective integration of asylum-seekers and refugees,” he said.

More than 50,000 refugees who arrived in southern Mexico have been screened and granted asylum by the Government and successfully relocated to industrial cities.

Much of this has happened through the UNHCR’s Local Integration Program, implemented in coordination with the federal and local levels of government and the private sector.

With access to formal employment, health services, education and housing, and by facilitating access to Mexican nationality, these refugees have achieved integration and stability, a UNHCR statement said.

“With the right tools, refugees have a very high potential to fully integrate in Mexico and contribute to host communities. We have now sufficient evidence to state that this is an unquestionable fact,” Mr Lepri said.

Forced displacement in the Americas remains critical, driven by violence, persecution, human rights violations and insecurity, and exacerbated by the negative impact of disasters.

UNHCR’s data shows that by mid-2024, the Americas hosted 20.3 million forcibly displaced people and others in need of international protection and assistance.

Most of the forcibly displaced from the region are still in Latin America and the Caribbean, where governments and communities are supporting them, UNHCR says.

Mexico’s Local Integration Program has been key in supporting refugees to rebuild their lives with more than 650 companies actively participating.

Refugees are contributing their skills and experience to strengthen the Mexican economy, generating an annual fiscal contribution of US$15 million, UNHCR says.

“By focusing on stabilization and self-sufficiency through skill matching and enhanced local support, 94 per cent of working-age refugees secure formal employment within the first month, 88 per cent of school-age children enrol in school, and 60 per cent of families rise out of poverty within a year – with clear pathways to Mexican nationality,” the statement said.

“UNHCR has also been able to support the integration of refugees who arrive directly in areas with greater employment opportunities. More than 160,000 asylum-seekers and refugees have received support in finding job opportunities, having their diplomas recognized, accessing public services, and facilitating their naturalisation process,” it said.

The Local Integration Program has also included internally displaced women, and in 2025, the initiative will expand to support Mexican deportees who, for protection reasons, cannot safely return to their communities of origin.