Number of Ecuadorians, Venezuelans, and Brazilians traveling to Mexico increases

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Given the increase in the entry of citizens from Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela to Mexico, the Mexican federal government decided to impose visas again on those nations; after detecting that people are entering Mexican territory, but no longer leaving, warn migration authorities.

According to figures from the Migration Policy Unit, of the Ministry of the Interior (Segob), from 2018 to 2021, a rise was detected in the entries of citizens from South American countries, which did not require a visa until last September to enter Mexico.

While in 2018, there were 370,495 entries of Brazilian citizens by air, the flow grew to 377,353 in 2019; by 2020, it dropped to 126,593, just in the first year of the pandemic and from January to November 2021, there were 273,763.

In the case of citizens of Ecuador, while in 2018 there were 87,374, the figure grew for 2019 to 169,382; for 2020, it dropped to 58,157; but in 2021, there were 121,649.

Meanwhile, in 2018, 75,242 Venezuelan citizens entered Mexico; by 2019, it grew to 81,812, and the following year there was a decrease to 31,757; but in 2021, the figure shot up to 145,621.

The Mexican government determined that the visa measure would be temporary. For Ecuador, it went into effect last September 4 and should end next March 4, but a review will be made to decide whether it will end or be extended.

In the case of Brazil, it was specified that it would be a temporary measure, the same as for Venezuela, but there is no date of conclusion. “The imposition of a visa does not stop migratory flows, especially if they want to reach another country to improve their economic situation or flee from insecurity,” said internationalist Tomás Milton Muñoz, an academic at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the UNAM.

Regarding the visa imposed on Venezuela, Amnesty International considered it a hard blow for Venezuelan nationals since most Venezuelans are seeking to flee their country due to the political situation they are experiencing, which is a human rights issue.

The Mexican authority has documented that the largest migratory flows received by the country are not those arriving from Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela.

According to the Migration Policy Unit of the Segob, for example, between January and November 2021, the largest number of foreigners deported back to their countries were from Guatemala (41,208), Honduras (50,247), and El Salvador (4,750).

To these nationalities are added Haitians, who have become one of the largest groups arriving in Mexico searching for a better life and who also try to reach the United States. Between January and November 2021 alone, Mexico delivered 11,000 humanitarian visitor cards to people from Haiti.

“Despite the pro-Latin American policy discourse that this government has mentioned, it continues to comply with the designs of the United States. Brazil, Venezuela, surely, it is not new, it is eight years ago that the number of people from these countries entering as tourists has increased, and some of them decided to take the road to the United States. What is problematic, especially in the case of Venezuelans, is that we know the situation they live in, and it generates greater problems for those who seek to leave that country, even as politically persecuted”, mentioned Milton Muñoz.

The Mexican government, he added, puts stones on the way, in addition to the perception that the United States continues to impose its migratory policy in our country. The UNAM analyst mentioned that the Mexican government must implement its own immigration policy recently modified.

According to diplomatic sources, there has also been a substantial increase in travelers from Colombia and Peru, who arrive in Mexico under a regular status, but do not leave the country either. However, in the case of these two nations, the elimination of visas is part of the agreement between the members of the Pacific Alliance.