With the aim of strengthening inclusive communities, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Japanese embassy in Mexico presented a project to promote the socioeconomic integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Mexico through access to formal employment.
The project has USD 3.5 million in funding from the Japanese government and will be carried out between March 2025 and February 2026. It will be implemented as part of the UNHCR’s Local Integration Program (LIP) in close coordination with the federal, state and municipal governments, as well as the private sector, including Japanese companies and civil society.
The General Director of Multilateral Strategy of the Undersecretariat for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Aureny Aguirre, specified that for Mexico, it is fundamental to ensure that refugees fully enjoy their rights and have access to education, health, documentation and employment opportunities.
She emphasized that this will contribute to facilitating the social and economic integration of refugees, reducing their vulnerability and promoting their self-sufficiency in a place where they can restart their lives with dignity and peace.
The project aims to provide support to 5,000 refugees to move from the south of Mexico to cities with greater capacity for labor and social integration in regions such as El Bajío and Nuevo León. These areas have the presence of Japanese companies and an infrastructure that facilitates access to employment and essential services.
“Given the current global situation, Japan and Mexico, as strategic allies, must continue to make efforts to work and cooperate on global issues such as this one of great relevance. The actions we will carry out through the project with UNHCR will be very significant in facing the challenges posed by the growing movement of people,” said Japan’s ambassador, Kozo Honsei.
The initiative will pay special attention to the inclusion of women heads of household and will promote the incorporation of girls and boys into educational, sporting and cultural activities, as well as access to childcare services.
The UNHCR representative in Mexico, Giovanni Lepri, expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for its generous support of this project.
“This contribution will not only allow thousands of refugees to access formal employment and essential services but will also strengthen social cohesion in the communities that receive them. International solidarity is key to building sustainable and humane integration,” he said.
Since its creation in 2016, the PIL has allowed more than 50,000 refugees to rebuild their lives in Mexico and generate an estimated annual tax contribution of MXN 238 million. This new project reinforces the commitment to expand opportunities for more refugees to find stability and access new opportunities.
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