Immigration

Mexico City –  Mexico's Senate approved a new Immigration Law to protect and guarantee the human rights of immigrants in its territory, although the parts of the measure described by some lawmakers as "racist" remained pending for debate.

The voting coincided with the presentation of a report by Mexico's independent human rights commission about the kidnapping of 11,333 mainly Central American migrants on Mexican soil.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 84-15, mandates the creation of a legal framework to counter crimes against migrants during their passage through Mexico.

But nearly one-third of the legislation's 164 articles have yet to win approval.

Those articles, according to one critic, contain "racist overtones (that are) similar to those of the law approved in Arizona" that seeks to criminalize undocumented migrants.

This law sets forth that any immigrants who become victims of or witnesses to a crime will be authorized to remain in Mexico until the legal procedures in the case conclude and they will receive permission to work to support themselves during that period.

The law also includes for those immigrants the possibility of gaining access to health and legal services and the chance to normalize their immigration status.

But the law also seeks to authorize greater powers for the Federal Police to conduct "immigration reviews" and detain foreigners who cannot verify their immigration situation.

"The intention to give greater powers to the police would be the pretext to have a police similar to that in the United States, which has become an immigrant-hunter," leftist Sen. Ricardo Monreal said.

"We cannot give that treatment to undocumented people while we're demanding respect for the rights of our countrymen in the United States," Sen. Adolfo Toledo said.

The bill calls for fines of up to $5,000 for employing undocumented foreigners and smaller penalties for Mexicans "who enter into marriage with a foreigner only so that the latter can settle in the country."

Violating the rights of undocumented migrants in Mexico has increased, particularly in the last two years, during which crimes targeting migrants have also increased.

Each year, about 300,000 undocumented Central Americans try to traverse Mexico heading for the United States and somewhat less than a third of them are apprehended by Mexican authorities.