Hundreds of migrants deported by the new US administration arrive each week on commercial flights to Chiapas, prompting the state government to create a plan for their job placement and for them to start their own businesses.
Faced with the increase in foreign migrants finding informal jobs due to being stranded in southern Mexico, Pablo Aguilar, director of Labor and Social Welfare for the State of Chiapas, explained to EFE that the state government has adopted measures to facilitate their employment in local companies or the creation of their own projects.
“We are working with them through job boards and training, based on their skills,” the official said in an interview.
Mexico received more than 24,000 deportees in the first eight weeks of Donald Trump’s new presidency in the United States, including 4,567 foreigners, according to the latest update from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has promised support for those who decide to stay in the country.
One of the areas with the largest presence of foreign migrants is Chiapas, where the government expects up to 17 commercial flights per day, including some deportees among the passengers. Therefore, the labor plan is being extended to cities such as Tapachula and Comitán, near the southern border, in addition to the capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
“Last week, we assisted about 200 migrants, of whom we have successfully placed more than 80 migrants in jobs in Chiapas companies,” Aguilar stated.
Mexico: Destination for Migrants Discouraged by the US
Migrants have expressed their discouragement with Trump’s policies, such as mass deportations, the “closure” of the border with thousands of military personnel deployed, and the elimination of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One app that allowed asylum seekers to apply for asylum in the United States from southern Mexico.
Venezuelans in particular, who make up nearly a quarter of irregular migrants in Mexico, lament that Trump has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and CBP One.
But that has caused many to settle in Mexico, where Aguilar noted that, in addition to positions in companies, there are migrants with small businesses, especially food businesses, which generates a new culinary offering in the region.
One example is the “Rincón de Venezuela,” founded by Venezuelans in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, where Paul Carrillo has found a home in Mexico he hadn’t expected.
“Most of us Venezuelans were just passing through, seeking the American dream, but since that wasn’t possible for everyone, we decided to take on the gastronomy of our country to survive, offering typical dishes such as tequeños, arepas, and empanadas,” the Venezuelan told EFE.
Carrillo, who is already in the process of settling in the territory, is impressed by the welcome he has received in Mexico.
“We are proud to offer the best of our food. We feel welcomed by the people of Chiapas, and that gives us the strength to keep going,” he said.
His compatriot Carmen Galicia also highlighted the success of their food in such a short period of time.
“This type of business not only gives us the opportunity to generate income, but also allows us to feel part of this community,” she explained to EFE.
Aguilar indicated that migrants who have been in the United States longer have greater opportunities to integrate into the Mexican labor market, as “they work in sectors such as tourism, supermarkets, and agriculture, always within the framework of protecting labor rights.”
Source: lopezdoriga
