Mexico

During August 2021, a caravan of migrants left Tapachula for Mexico, but was violently repressed by the National Guard (GN) and riot police. At the same time, deportations (of all nationalities) from the United States accelerated, and Mexico also granted deportations of Haitians to their country.

Furthermore, during 2021, due to changes in Mexican migration policies resulting from the agreement with the United States, thousands of African, Haitian and Central American migrants found themselves stranded in the city of Tapachula. The flow from Central America has not decreased either. Most of these migrants are in a precarious situation and are in great need of humanitarian aid.

The international network of Médecins du Monde has responded to the humanitarian needs of the caravans of Central American and African migrants stranded by providing rehydration and hygiene supplies, medicines and medical personnel to the entities in charge of the situation, in particular the shelters that have been overwhelmed by these population flows.

The country has one of the highest rates of violence against women among OECD countries.

The number of femicides has increased in recent years.

There were 922 femicides in 2021.

In addition, the country has the highest teenage pregnancy rate among OECD countries.

Migrant women face particular health needs related to their sex, gender, sexuality and reproduction, both in their country of origin and during their transit or settlement in Mexico. This context exposes them to specific health needs related, among other things, to gender-based violence and sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and maternal health care.

Médecins du Monde wishes to promote the creation or revision of public policies on access to healthcare for migrant and internally displaced populations. As a key element of our humanitarian work in Mexico, this advocacy aims to sound the alarm and define the priorities of the action plan.

Our NGO works with the most vulnerable people, unaccompanied children and adolescents, and people who have been forcibly displaced and are being cared for by our partners’ programmes.

The Médecins du Monde network runs a regional programme to ensure access to healthcare and protection for migrants and internally displaced people in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. As part of this programme, Médecins du Monde works in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, to restore access to healthcare and improve care for migrants.

The teams provide primary and mental healthcare in shelters housing hundreds of migrants, in accommodation for asylum seekers and to migrants living on the streets.

To complement patient care, Médecins du Monde is strengthening the activities of 11 local health facilities by supporting teams and distributing medical equipment and medicines. In response to the COVID emergency, care has been adapted and information and awareness-raising activities have been carried out to ensure that vulnerable populations adopt the right habits to protect themselves from the virus.

Médecins du Monde is improving access to healthcare for migrant survivors of gender-based violence through a comprehensive case management programme for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence for asylum seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.

In Chiapas, 44% of women over the age of 15 report having suffered emotional, economic, physical, verbal or sexual violence. Acts of violence are most often perpetrated within couples, in the family, at school or at work.

Given the urgency of the situation, Médecins du Monde is working in schools, neighbourhoods, communities and with health professionals. We are carrying out important awareness-raising work on equal relationships and non-violent forms of masculinity.