Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - "It is a degrading and embarrassing act for our Central American brothers and sisters who are filed as soon as they cross the southern border of Mexico," is the complaint by Fr Alejandro Solalinde, head of the "Casa del Migrante" in Ciudad Ixtepec and well-known for his actions in favor of immigrants.
According to Father Solalinde this decision demonstrates that Mexico has become an extra member of the security system of the United States through the National Institute of Immigration, an essential tool used by the U.S. to obtain information on immigrants.
According to a statement sent to Fides, the newspaper Millennium announced that a system that records the iris, fingerprints and the face of all those who cross the southern border of Mexico will be installed. It is estimated that about 300 thousand "irregular" Central Americans pass through that area every year.
Fr. Solalinde explained to the press that this project meets the needs of the United States, not Mexico, because "we do not have terrorism, and what they want, is to prevent the entry from our border." The priest added that "for now it is only to identify the immigrants, but then we will be asked to stop them and this becomes a big problem, because prisons are full and without adequate infrastructure." Fr. Solalinde concluded by saying that "to put into effect a provision of the United States is a real shame, while the Mexicans are not able to develop an immigration policy because the issue is not a priority on the national agenda. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 10/06/2013)
