New Leadership at the National Migration Institute (INM)
Following Francisco Garduño’s departure from the National Migration Institute (INM), experts suggest that the institution should evolve into an entity promoting migrant integration and safeguarding their dignity, amidst a growing complex global migration context. Sergio Salomón Céspedes Peregrina has taken over as the new INM head, replacing Garduño, under instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the Secretary of the Interior, conducted the ceremony.
During the ceremony, Salomón Céspedes Peregrina emphasized that his administration would focus on an “ordered, regular, and secure” migration policy, prioritizing respect for migrants’ human rights.
Challenges and Proposals
Alma Eunice Rendón, coordinator of Agenda Migrante, acknowledged progress at the INM but highlighted significant challenges. These include establishing specialized protocols for migrant stations and reviewing the Migration Law to adapt it to current dynamics.
Rendón also proposed more intelligent integration models for migrants already residing in Mexico, many of whom lack legal migration status and face labor exploitation and precarious conditions.
She suggested regularizing these populations and collaborating with the private sector to create job opportunities, such as temporary employment programs.
“Inclusion and Regularization are Necessary”
Rendón emphasized the importance of labor inclusion and regularization in Mexico’s migration policy, stating that long-term residents should not continue to live in irregularity. She compared this effort to the advocacy for Mexicans in the US, asserting that similar processes should be established to manage migration within Mexico:
“I believe that, in Mexican migration policy, labor inclusion and regularization are necessary. We should not allow people to remain irregularly for extended periods. Just as we fought for our Mexicans abroad, today we need processes to ensure that migration issues are managed properly. Many people cannot rent a place or work legally due to the lack of documentation, so they are forced into informal employment.”
The Ciudad Juárez Fire: A Turning Point
Marcos Zavala, a lawyer from the Fundación para la Justicia, mentioned that the Ciudad Juárez migrant station fire, which resulted in 40 deaths and injured 27 others, should serve as a turning point for the INM’s fundamental transformation.
Zavala outlined three essential proposals for the new administration: respecting the law and human rights, ending criminal treatment of migrants, and conducting a profound reform of detention conditions.
“The Migration Law, regulations, and the Constitution do not state anywhere that migrants are criminals,” Zavala emphasized.
Migration Landscape
According to the latest data from the Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM)’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 1,104 migrants died or disappeared in the Americas in 2023, with 533 cases reported on the US-Mexico border—one of the world’s deadliest for mobile individuals.
By April 15, the OIM reported 41 migrant deaths on this route. Nationally, the INM reported finding at least 366 migrant bodies along Mexico’s northern border from 2019 to April 2024, particularly in Piedras Negras, Acuña (Coahuila), and Matamoros (Tamaulipas) municipalities.
Over the past six years, Mexico has experienced a significant increase in individuals detained by migration authorities. Between 2018 and 2024, returns rose from 131,445 to 1,234,698 individuals—an approximate 839% increase.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is the new head of the INM? Sergio Salomón Céspedes Peregrina
- What challenges does the INM face? Establishing specialized protocols for migrant stations and reviewing the Migration Law to adapt it to current dynamics.
- What integration models are proposed? More intelligent integration models for migrants already residing in Mexico, including regularization and collaboration with the private sector to create job opportunities.
- What is the significance of the Ciudad Juárez fire? It should serve as a turning point for fundamental transformation of the INM, emphasizing respect for law, human rights, and detention conditions.
- What is the current migration landscape in Mexico? A significant increase in individuals detained by migration authorities, with at least 366 migrant bodies found along the northern border from 2019 to April 2024.
