Since 2019, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has been conducting a range of humanitarian activities in northern Mexico where migrants are exposed to violence and other risks. The implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) also known as “Remain in Mexico” in 2019 also affected the local capacity to deliver integral services to the vulnerable populations. 

In northern Mexico, where larger migrant populations reside in precarious conditions, IOM has issued 3,703 vouchers (non-cash-based) between May 2020 and September 2021 to individuals, including asylum seekers subject to MPP and other vulnerable groups, such as single caregivers, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and victims of crime.  

The monthly average value is around USD 400 per family and covers food and other basic necessities. This form of assistance is only valid in certain stores across Mexico and cannot be used to purchase non-essential items or be exchanged for cash. Each eligible family receives support for three months on average while they seek employment and work toward achieving self-reliance to cover their own expenses.  

Any claims that this programme incentivizes irregular migration are baseless. Such misinformation risks diverting attention from the humanitarian situation and instrumentalizes migration for political purposes. 

IOM has decades of experience assisting vulnerable migrants around the world. This includes programmes that ensure access to basic goods—empowering individuals to prioritize items according to their unique needs while also contributing to the local economies. This alternative to in-kind distributions has proven more efficient and less wasteful in many contexts. 

This humanitarian assistance embodies the core of IOM’s principles to prioritize the dignity, safety and well-being of migrants regardless of their legal status. The Organization assists and protects any person on the move based on their unique vulnerabilities and aims to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration through international cooperation. 

For more information, please contact Liz Lizama at IOM Washington, Tel.+1 202 716 8820, Email: elizama@iom.int or Jorge Gallo at IOM’s Regional Office for Central America, North America, and the Caribbean, Tel: +506 72036536, Email: jgallo@iom.int.