74% of migrants of Haitian origin who are in the country have expressed interest in staying in Mexico, documented the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the UN.
The IOM study Characterization of the Population of Haitian Origin in Mexico underlines that although people of Haitian origin have always been present in migratory movements in the region, it was in 2021 when a significant and noticeable increase in income was observed. of this population to Mexico, since according to data from the authorities, last year more than 13,606 Haitian migrants were detained, while in 2020 the figure was only 1,411.
Therefore, the international organization considered it necessary to study the characteristics of this population, their intentions and needs to allow them a more adequate accompaniment in their migratory processes.
In this sense, through a survey of a total of 5,725 Haitian migrants located in six cities of the republic, the IOM identified that, in 2021, 74% said they intended to stay in Mexico; 23% will continue on their way to the US and only 1% expressed their interest in returning to their country of origin.
While of those people looking to stay in Mexico, 54% plan to relocate within the country, mainly to Baja California, Mexico City, and Nuevo León.
Job skills
On the other hand, the data indicates that, at the time of the study, 85% said they were unemployed, and 4% had an informal job. Among their work experiences, 25% know about civil construction, 14% about the food industry and 13% about commerce.
Regarding the reasons for migrating, 41% said they had done so in search of greater security, 36% for better socioeconomic conditions and 15% in search of political stability.
Among their main needs, it was also identified that 32% have a job as a priority, 14% legal assistance and 14% accommodation in Mexico.
Regarding the latter, 24% of the participants expressed renting a room, 13% lived in a shelter and 6% lived on the streets. While 41% of the total said they share their accommodation space with up to six people.
On the other hand, at the time of the survey, 10% of Haitian migrant women were pregnant and another 8% were breastfeeding. While most of these migrants were between 26 and 35 years old.