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Mexico to provide migrants with one year work visas for public projects

Mexico City, Mexico — President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he will provide temporary work visas to migrants so they can work legally in Mexico. On Monday, López Obrador said that this week, he will present a temporary visa program for Central American migrants to work legally in Mexico on public projects such as the Maya Train and the Tehuantepec Isthmus Interoceanic Corridor.

“We need a workforce for the projects and more if we are talking about skilled labor. We need many ironworkers, welders, even professional engineers for the Maya Train. (…) we can give employment to many workers, for all of them with the purpose of coming to work,” he explained.

The work visa will be valid for one year, he added. He said it is possible for Mexico to offer the visa, which contributes to helping order the migratory flow, because the country’s economy is improving.

Currently, Mexico and Singapore are the two countries in the world that report the lowest unemployment rates, he said.

“There is more demand for the workforce, companies are paying more, so the salaries are already attractive enough to come. Make agreements with companies and we guarantee them a one-year visa without problems,” he said.

During his Monday morning press conference, López Obrador said over the weekend, he received a letter from President Joe Biden in which he recognized the actions of the Government of Mexico in terms of migration and made the commitment to increase investments in Central American and Caribbean countries.

President López Obrador reiterated the importance of jointly promoting a migration policy that prioritizes the generation of opportunities and respect for human rights.

“That we seek a balance because the qualified labor force is needed in the country now. (…) It is not correct to reject migrants when a labor force is needed,” he added.