Mexican immigrants live in a limbo

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When thousands of people leave their country to look for better opportunities in other countries, which government is responsible for fulfilling their needs? If immigration is done legally , the receiving country grants the immigrants certain rights but the situation is different when thousands of people enter a country illegally, without the necessary documents.

This is the scenario faced by millions of Mexicans who left the country in the last three decades and entered the U.S. without official documents . Moreover, Mexicans immigrants don’t have the same rights as U.S. citizens but at the same time, they don’t have the same rights as those who live in Mexico.

Although Mexican immigrants send thousands of millions in remittances to Mexico, federal governments have turned their backs on them for years, and the efforts to strengthen their links to the country haven’t consolidated.

On the contrary, several administrations have increased the prices of different documents , something that might push Mexican immigrants away. Starting on January 1, 2020 , Mexicans in the U.S. will have to pay more for the paperwork in consulates and embassies . The price of a consular registration will increase from USD $27 to USD $30. The prices will also increase for passports and declaration of nationality .

While the Mexican government increases the prices , the resources it allocates to help Mexicans abroad decreases. In 2018 , the program for the protection , assistance , and services for Mexicans abroad received USD $836 million but in 2019, it only received USD $564 million. The resources allocated to the General Management for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad were reduced from USD $198 million to USD $162 million in 2019 .

The millions of Mexicans living in the U.S. need support from state and federal governments to face everyday life in a different country. For example, local governments are working to integrate the Mexican immigrants from Zacatecas , Puebla , and Oaxaca , where they created departments to supports those who left their communities to immigrate . Nevertheless, Mexicans abroad are still waiting for programs who provide real support. Hopefully, the Mexican government will provide aid soon, especially with all the anti-immigrant sentiment that has spread in the U.S.

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