Mexico is set to launch a new app to expedite its asylum procedure in the face of record numbers of asylum seekers.
A similar software was launched in the US but was heavily criticised for flaws and difficulty of use.
Head of Mexico’s refugee assistance agency, COMAR, Andrés Ramírez says he believed an app was necessary in order to manage an overwhelming number of asylum requests in Mexico City. Reports said.
He added that for the first time in the history of his agency, more asylum applications were filed in Mexico City than in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, which borders Guatemala.
During that time, 3,300 applications were filed in Mexico City and 3,000 in Tapachula, Ramírez said.
The new app called simply the “pre-registration system” will allow individuals to register their intent to seek asylum online and is hoped to speed up processing. It is expected to launch next week in Mexico City only, with other areas expected to be added at a later date, according to Ramírez.
Mr Ramírez believes that the influx is in part the result of the end of Title 42 in the US, which brought many more people to Mexico in hopes of crossing the US-Mexico border. Those hopes were punctured by a harsh new rule enacted by the Biden administration that bars most asylum-seekers who travelled through other countries from gaining protection in the United States if they enter the country illegally.
Ramírez also said that some individuals applying for asylum in Mexico City may still be waiting to get an appointment on US Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One App, through which users can make appointments to enter legally through a port of entry to make their case for asylum.
The US CBP One app has been criticized by immigrant advocacy groups, who point out that some migrants lack the resources to get a smartphone, absence of adequate internet access to use the app, and may struggle with language and literacy barriers. Groups have also reported concerns about how the app’s facial recognition technology handles darker skin.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, the app has performed as anticipated, with over 79,000 people scheduling appointments since its inception in January 2023. CBP also updated the app earlier this month to address some of the issues, and for the first time permitted people to apply from anywhere in central Mexico, not only the US-Mexico border.
Related posts:
Mexico denies deal with U.S. on asylum rules
Migrants outside U.S.- Mexico border begin hunger strike as they await asylum
Bolivian President Evo Morales accepts offer of political asylum in Mexico
Agbakoba asks Court to declare procedure for suspending Onnoghen unconstitutional
Fmr U.S President Jimmy Carter admitted to hospital for brain procedure
Special report on procedure, risk factors of cosmetic surgery in Nigeria
CSOs launch social accounts app in six languages
Meta to launch Google App Store competitor for users in EU
