Labor migration is in the spotlight.
On Monday, Mexican President AMLO urged President Biden to offer temporary work visas to deter asylum seekers from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador from arriving at the U.S. border. Similarly, government officials from Mexico and the US discussed the issue at the recently relaunched High-Level Economic Dialogue. At the same time, the new U.S. ambassador, Ken Salazar arrived in Mexico with three priorities: security, the pandemic and migration.
As governments turn to exploitative work visas to address the most pressing issues in the region, they must not cast aside migrant workers’ rights.
In an op-ed, published today in Reforma, CDM’s Evy Peña urges Ambassador Salazar to live up to his commitment to push for a migration system that works for the US and Mexico:
“[W]ithout a human rights perspective grounded in the experiences of those who live with the flaws of temporary work programs, we cannot help but relapse into the cycle of violence and injustice, time and time again. Ambassador Salazar has a chance to break this cycle.”
Any labor migration policy should reflect migrant workers’ voices. Will you help us make sure that Ambassador Salazar centers human rights by tweeting at him?
Dear @USAmbMex, Temporary work visas undermine migrant workers’ rights and neglect to address the needs of asylum seekers. Labor migration needs to prioritize the human rights of workers, families and communities. Please listen to migrant workers. @CDMigrante