By Dulce Sarahí Cortés Vite
Migrants are brave people who decide to leave their place of origin in search of a better future. Migration is a phenomenon that has existed since ancient times and is driven by different reasons, such as flight from political persecution or poverty.
Flight out of fear is one of the main reasons why migrants decide to leave their home. Many of them are forced to leave their country due to armed conflict, violence or political persecution. These people risk their lives in search of safety and freedom, leaving behind everything they know and love.
Poverty also plays an important role in migration. Many migrants come from countries with high poverty rates, where employment and development opportunities are limited. They seek a better life for themselves and their families, and see migration as an opportunity to escape misery and find a more prosperous future.
Migration is not a new phenomenon, but in recent years it has acquired greater relevance due to globalization and advances in communications and transportation. This has facilitated the movement of people and made migration more visible in our society.
It is important to highlight that migrants are not criminals or dangerous people, as they are sometimes stigmatized. They are human beings in search of a better life, willing to work hard and contribute to the development of their new host countries.
The United Nations, encouraged by the growing interest of the international community in effective and adequate protection of the human rights of all migrants, emphasized that it is necessary to continue efforts to guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all immigrants, which is why it approved declaring December 18 as International Migrants Day; therefore, invited Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to celebrate this day.
To leave the connotation of what the migration of Mexicans abroad means, it is enough to review the figures collected by the INEGI in 2021, from which it can be highlighted that the Mexican population residing in the territory was 126 million towards the year 2020. The data The registered population also indicated that the Mexican population born in the national territory, but who emigrated abroad, practically entirely to the United States, amounted to 11.7 million. On the other hand, the Mexican population born abroad, first generation, practically entirely in the United States amounts to 13.5 million.
It is added in the same way that the Mexican population born abroad, of second and successive generations, practically entirely in the United States is 12 million more. A smaller number is that of those foreigners who adopted Mexican nationality, approximately 100 thousand people.
Another important piece of information, but which would be the subject of future collaboration, corresponds to the economic impact throughout the country, which during the December season takes the form of an outpouring of monetary support for families or investments of Mexicans residing in the United States.
Dulce Sarahí Cortés Vite, lawyer by profession, Master in Public Administration, Doctorate in Public Administration and currently Councilor in the Zapopan City Council.