For an extended period, millions of Mexican citizens believed that having a passport in order and up to date was enough to leave the country and travel abroad without complications. However, this notion has now been officially overturned.
The Government of Mexico has announced a provision that is already generating reactions throughout the country: being registered in the National Registry of Child Support Obligations will be sufficient for authorities to prevent a person from leaving the national territory, even if their passport is in perfect condition.
The amendment to the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents was unanimously approved by the Senate of the Republic with 86 votes in favor, after receiving support from the Chamber of Deputies and subsequently being sent to the federal Executive for publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
The Database That Will Block Your Passport: Those Listed Will Not Be Able to Leave the Country
The central element of this measure is the National Registry of Child Support Obligations, a recently implemented tool that will support the Federal Judiciary Council.
Its purpose will be to collect and keep updated in real time information on people who owe or are entitled to child support obligations established through final judicial rulings, allowing authorities throughout the country to access this data to validate various procedures.
The registry will be managed by the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF), which will have a period of 300 business days from the decree’s entry into force to implement the system throughout the country.
The platform will be fed with information provided by the Federal Judiciary, ensuring that each record is supported by official judgments and resolutions rather than unsupported accusations or reports lacking legal basis.
What New Consequences Will Those Who Fail to Pay Child Support Face?
When authorities stated that this measure would have significant consequences, they were not exaggerating. Among the most relevant are:
- A passport cannot be obtained or renewed, blocking any possibility of traveling abroad.
- Likewise, a driver’s license cannot be obtained or renewed, directly affecting everyday mobility, particularly for those who depend on a vehicle for work.
- The person will be excluded from running as a candidate for elected office, limiting any political aspirations.
- The person will not have access to positions within the Judiciary: they will be prohibited from serving as a judge or magistrate, at either the local or federal level.
- Their property-related transactions will be affected, since procedures before a notary public, such as the purchase or sale of real estate or the transfer of property rights, will require a certificate verifying their status.
- When entering into marriage, the Civil Registry judge will be required to inform both parties if either one is listed as a child support debtor, including the details of the case.
Source: cronista
