Mexico must seek alternatives to detention and asylum for migrants, especially ahead of an anticipated increase in arrivals this year, the U.N. refugee agency's representative for the country said Friday.
Mexico registered a record 131,448 asylum applications last year, an 87% increase from 2019 with most of the applicants from Central America and Haiti, according to the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance. Authorities expect the number to rise again this year as more people look to flee economic crises brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
