Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Mexico's Two-Faced Illegal Immigration Policy

There is ample evidence that the government of Mexico actively supports illegal immigration to the U.S. by supplying both maps and booklets on how not to caught by U.S. Immigration Agents and other information. For Mexico, next to the oil revenues, the funds that illegal immigrants to the U.S. send back to Mexico has become their second largest national revenue source. If the government of Mexico is so helpful in aiding illegal immigration to the U.S., then how come thay actively prevent both legal and illegal immigration to their country.

Last month alone, 300,000 illegal immigrants entered the U.S., yet in the last 20 years only a mere 15,000 immigrants from states like El Salvador, Honduras, or other South American countries have been allowed legal immigrant status and citizenship status in Mexico.

And illegal immigrants to Mexico must do all they can to avoid capture by corrupt or brutal Mexican police who will rob, beat or rape many of them. One entire police force in Mexico was entirely using stolen American automobiles for example.

It is very disappointing that Mexico does not truly stand behind human dignity and fair treatment. Their two-faced policy towards illegal immigration only serves the immediate economic purposes for Mexico and is hardly based on any principles of human respect.

Immigrants, both legal and not, only seek a better life for their families. Most are very productive and honest persons. But the Mexican nation stubbornly refuses to make the economy any more fair where 16 wealthy familes have a real lock on much of the nation's economy and much of the public shares very little of the economy of Mexico.

All humans are entitled to a decent life. While the U.S. can be blamed for NAFTA causing such a strong downturn in Mexican farm and agricultural income as American corporate agriculture only floods the Mexican market with low priced corporate agriculture grown wheat and corn, which has lowered agriculture incomes in Mexico by a third or more, still the economy of Mexico refuses to make those changes.

While some of his policy and other goals seem worrisome, still the leftist candidate for President of Mexico offfered some opportunity for change. You could just bet that the wealthy classes would not give up any power that easily. The status quo in Mexico is not likely to change soon. But more fairness at home would help to ease the illegal immigration frictions with the U.S. which are overloading state social service budgets and stretching tight funds intended for food, housing or medical care for the poor in the U.S. This competition for social services is cutting the pie only thinner for the poor. Mexico needs some serious economic reforms very soon to ease some of the problems of their own creation.

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