Mexico welcomes the announcement of new US actions to achieve orderly, safe, regular and humane migration

• Mexico welcomes the announcement that, based on the positive results of both the Uniting for Ukraine program and the new humanitarian process for Venezuelans, beginning today the U.S. government will expand this new pathway into the U.S. labor market for up to 360,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals per year.
• The process put in place by the U.S. to issue humanitarian permits to Venezuelans has opened the door to a new method of orderly, safe and regular entry into the U.S., while significantly reducing irregular migration in the region by up to 94%.
• Migrants must enter the U.S. by air only. They may not cross the U.S.-Mexico border by land.
   

With the goal of increasing labor mobility in the Americas, as set forth in the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, the United States has responded favorably to Mexico's requests to expand the labor and humanitarian mobility programs in the region. Beginning today, U.S. authorities are increasing the number of people it will admit into its labor market. Migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua will now be able to enter the United States in an orderly, safe and regular manner.

The humanitarian permit program for Venezuelans that began in October 2022 has had positive results, both in creating a new avenue for admission to the U.S. job market and in decreasing irregular migration in the region. To date, the new program has enabled 11,460 Venezuelans to enter the United States in an orderly, safe and regular manner, and about 16,000 already have authorization to enter the U.S. Meanwhile, irregular border crossings have decreased by up to 94% on a daily basis, with a peak of 1,511 on October 2, prior to the program’s implementation, to a low of 90 on December 4.

Based on these results, the United States will now accept up to 30,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela each month, for a total of 360,000 for all of 2023. This is the most significant expansion of labor mobility in contemporary U.S. history. In addition, Mexico and the United States will expand their refugee resettlement policies in recognition of the importance of granting access to asylum in both countries and in the region.

According to information provided by the U.S. government, migrants who follow the program's instructions and do not go to the U.S.-Mexico land border will be able to enter the U.S. by air and legally join the U.S. job market. Individuals from the four countries who do not meet the eligibility requirements or who do not follow the instructions of the new program will be subject to Title 42 actions as has been the case up to now for Venezuelans.

Entry into the U.S. of up to 30,000 individuals per month is an important alternative to irregular migration, which poses significant risks to the safety of all migrants and refugees. Expansion of the new measures prevents migrants from coming into contact with criminal organizations by enabling them to enter the United States in an orderly, safe, regular and humane manner.

The Government of Mexico will strengthen the dialogue and collaboration with international organizations it conducts through the humanitarian action group established in October 2022. The main goal is to coordinate and increase the protection of migrants’ and refugees’ human rights in Mexico. In addition, Mexican authorities and the U.S. government will evaluate the new program periodically to improve and assess it on an ongoing basis.