AS SHOWN WITH EL RESCATE’S INTAKE FORMS FROM 2013-2016, MIGRANTS FROM THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE ARE SUBJECTED TO A DEEPENING CYCLE OF ABUSES IN THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN, TRANSIT, AND DESTINATION (PRIOR TO AND POST-DEPORTATION), DUE TO PERVASIVE GOVERNMENT NEGLIGENCE THAT VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC LAWS.
ISSUE DESCRIPTION
- Migration from the Northern Triangle is occurring on an unprecedented scale due in large part to the brutal and deeply-entrenched gang violence that has inundated the region as well as impunity of perpetrators (including both gangs and corrupt government officials).
- Lack of access to justice and representation mostly due to endemic poverty as well as low institutional quality .
- Youth in the Northern Triangle countries are particularly vulnerable to gang violence and cartel recruitment.
- U.S. and Mexican immigration officials are routinely neglecting their legal obligations to screen apprehended migrants for asylum claims before summarily deporting them.
- Reintegration programs that might afford deportees the opportunity to rebuild their lives are thoroughly lacking in Northern Triangle countries, fueling re-migration.
Findings
- Most Northern Triangle migrants are fleeing violence in their country of origin. This is a trend that has been increasing since 2011, as violence in the Northern Triangle escalates. The type of violence occurring in each country varies, but gang violence is a common theme throughout the region.
- An overwhelming majority of these migrants expressed a fear to return to their country of origin, indicating that they should be recognized and processed as asylum seekers.
- The old intake form used by El Rescate allowed for missing data, and did not address crucial pieces of information that lawyers need to best serve their clients, especially in regards to seeking asylum. We proposed a dual-user intake form for implementation at El Rescate, which requests vital information from the client, and then prompts the lawyer to investigate these points further during their consultation. This form is more intuitive for clients to use, and also allows for more efficient data collection.
