Tulum, Q.R. — Over 300 Mexicans deported from the U.S. landed at the Tulum International Airport Friday. Those repatriated from the United States were met by government officials after landing in two planes.
The first flight, identified as mission 26-4912 from Harlingen, Texas, arrived at 11:25 a.m. with 155 passengers. Of those, 143 were men and 12 were women.
A second flight, mission 26-4913, landed from Mesa, Arizona at 3:00 p.m. local time. On board was 153 Mexican nationals that consisted of 146 males and seven females. At least two of those repatriated were minor children.
In total, 308 people were returned to Mexico on Friday at the Tulum International Airport. The repatriated citizens were received by Mexican authorities including the National Guard, the National Migration Institute (INM) and the state government.
They were then placed under a humanitarian assistance protocol that included medical checkups, food, vaccinations, and support for their children. Each person received food and was integrated into the appropriate referral processes for their place of origin.
Government officials from the Mexico Embraces You program were also at the airport ensuring the repatriated Mexicans registered with the program. The program includes legal advice and referral to social programs to provide orderly, safe, and humanitarian care.
The program also helps facilitate the integration process through information on employment and available services.
This is the first time that the Tulum airport has served as a reception point for repatriation flights from the United States.
Migration experts have suggested that using the Tulum Airport as a reception point could be part of a strategy to decentralize repatriations, which were previously concentrated on the northern border or in Mexico City.
