Following the Mass Deportation of Mexicans from the United States by ICE, Durango Civil Registry Offers Free Dual-Nationality Procedures
Following the mass deportation of Mexicans in the United States at the hands of ICE, the Civil Registry in Durango has received returning Mexican nationals with empathy and solidarity by offering them support, as many arrive without documents and, in many cases, even without money.
This was disclosed by Martha Castro González, head of the First Civil Registry Office in Gómez Palacio, who reported that 50 procedures have been completed in one week. The campaign began last week and has been extended so that men and women who have been deported can take advantage of it and process their documents.
Cost Can Reach 3,500 Pesos
In this context, she explained that the dual-nationality document has an average cost of 3,500 pesos, but under a special program, all procedures are being offered completely free of charge.
“A dual-nationality procedure, with the apostille and translation, can cost up to 3,000 pesos, and today all procedures are free when you go to any Civil Registry Office. This has been a great help to many people who have been returned due to the immigration policies of the U.S. government and who are now in their homeland without any dual-nationality documents,” she said.
Campaign Has Completed More Than 50 Procedures
During the first week since the campaign was launched, an average of 50 dual-nationality birth certificate procedures have been completed. This number could increase in the coming weeks as more deported people arrive in rural communities in Gómez Palacio.
90-Year-Old Man Was “Invisible”
At the same time, she said another free registration campaign is being carried out for adults, young people, and children who do not have an identity and are invisible to government programs and population censuses because they never obtained a birth certificate.
As an example, she said it is surprising that a 90-year-old person spent his entire life without an identity and only a few days ago was finally able to obtain a name and surname properly registered with the Civil Registry, because his family had never taken steps to regularize his identity.
The official explained that registrations are in fact free from birth to six months of age, but from six months onward there is a fine that must be paid, as well as certificates of nonexistence that must be obtained. For older adults, the process becomes considerably more expensive because they must be accompanied by appearances before the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“It is a very long and costly procedure, but right now all the procedures are being waived and not a single peso is being charged. Therefore, I invite families to go to the Civil Registry Offices and complete their corresponding procedures. The office where she is located is at the Government House, next to Casa Ley,” she said.
Source: milenio
