The United States has sent about 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala this year, despite objections from Mexico, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said. Guatemala received 2,284 people deported from the US, he said.
Arevalo said the Mexicans arrived on flights carrying Guatemalan returnees and were transferred to Mexico within 24 hours. The costs of the repatriation are covered by either the Mexican or US government.
How the Guatemala transfers work
Arevalo said Guatemala coordinates with the Mexican government to move the deportees through the country and return them to Mexican territory. The arrangement differs from cases in which migrants are sent to countries with which they have no apparent connection and may be unable to return home.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had opposed the practice to US authorities and reiterated that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter Mexico. After meeting Guatemalan officials, the ministry said Mexico and Guatemala share commitments including security and “human mobility with dignity”.
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Why the United States is using third countries
The transfers are part of a broader increase in third-country deportations under the Trump administration. US officials have generally justified such removals by saying some migrants and asylum seekers cannot be returned to their home countries, but Mexico has consistently accepted deportations from the United States.
Mexico’s National Migration Institute said the US had described the policy as a deterrent intended to prevent people from attempting to cross back into US territory. The Department of Homeland Security said it was using all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, as President Donald Trump promised.
Mexico’s wider concerns
Guatemala is not the only country involved in transfers of Mexican nationals. Reports have also emerged of Mexicans being transported to Honduras; one Mexican man told a television channel that he was told only to board the flight.
Human rights experts have criticised third-country removals as punitive and potentially intimidating. Mexico has also raised concerns about alleged excessive force during immigration raids, deaths of Mexican nationals in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and conditions in detention centres. The Mexican government has filed complaints with US state prosecutors and called for regular visits by Mexican consular officials.
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