Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – The National Human Rights Commission of Mexico, after performing a thorough investigation, has denounced the scandal of massive migrant kidnappings in various parts of the country. In a period of six months, organized gangs have kidnapped nearly 10,000 migrants, whom they usually free after they are paid a large sum of money. The Pastoral Observatory of CELAM (Latin American Bishops' Council) has presented a report from the above mentioned Human Rights Commission. The investigation only includes a period of six months, from September 2008 to February 2009. During these six months, the national organization was informed of 198 cases of migrant kidnappings, with an average of 33 per month or more than one per day. Information was also obtained on the number of migrants who were deprived of their freedom, which was a total of 9,758 persons, thus, over 1,600 per month.
According to the facts, migrant kidnappings are most commonly performed by organized gangs, who have their connections and resources. In several cases, it seems Mexican authorities have also been implied.
Mexico, as a country of origin, travel, arrival, and return of migrants, has one of the national borders with the greatest migratory movement in the world. Statistics from the National Population Council say that every year, around 550,000 Mexicans immigrate to the US. Also, in the last 3 years, the National Migration Institute registered an annual average of 140,000 migrants without documents, the majority being from Central American countries, on their way to the US. The extent of the migration situation is a unique challenge due to the complex nature of international migration nowadays. This situation is also influence by the great extent and high risk of the routes in national territory, leaving them completely exposed and vulnerable to suffering any kind of violation of their human rights.
These risks include the possibility of being kidnapped, especially since 2007, which is when the first cases of kidnapping were registered. In spite of this known risk, very little has been done by authorities to fight this evil that affects the migrants in Mexico, the majority of whom are from Central America. In the majority of the cases, the crimes remained unpunished and show signs of apathy, omission, or corruption. The facts obtained through investigations show that there is a lack of efficiency in the justice system in preventing, investigating, persecuting, and punishing kidnapping of migrants, as well as an evident lack of interest in authorities for preventing the crime, protecting the victims and making reparation for damages. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 23/7/2009)
