Up to 120,000 migrants are estimated to be missing.
Despite legal progress in Mexico and Central America to address the crisis of missing migrants, established mechanisms remain insufficient given the magnitude of the phenomenon, according to the latest report from the Foundation for Justice.
The report, "Existing Transnational Mechanisms for the Search and Investigation of Missing Migrant Persons," highlighted that between 72,000 and 120,000 migrants—mainly from Central America—were reported missing in Mexico between 2006 and 2016.
It was explained that Mexico's National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons reports that, as of September 11, 2024, 329,627 missing persons have been recorded since 1964, of which 115,462 remain unaccounted for. However, the report cautioned that the true number of missing migrants remains unknown due to a lack of coordination and adequate record-keeping.
The report, prepared jointly with the Criminal Justice and Policy Laboratory, also documented that in the absence of safe and legal means of migration, people resort to irregular routes and intermediaries known as "coyotes" or "polleros," many of whom are linked to criminal networks.
In response to this situation, the NGO indicated that various citizen and forensic mechanisms have been implemented in countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
For example, it was mentioned that the Forensic Databases of Missing Migrants have enabled concrete progress. In El Salvador, through August 2024, 65 sampling sessions were conducted, yielding 1,176 genetic profiles; thanks to this work, 73 identifications were achieved: 69 in the United States and 4 in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Meanwhile, in Honduras, 62 sessions were conducted, yielding 1,870 genetic profiles and 80 identifications, of which 32 corresponded to remains found in Mexico.
“The Forensic Databases of Unlocated Migrants carry out identifications using a multidisciplinary approach and through scientific means accepted by the international community… (these) upon confirming the identification of a migrant among unidentified remains, notify the next of kin. Notification is made in person, in the next of kin's language, with the delivery of an integrated multidisciplinary report on identification and cause of death, with a technical explanation by the experts who prepared the report on how the identification was achieved, among other things,” it was specified.
On the other hand, it was indicated that the Forensic Commission, created in 2013 as an institutional response to the massacres in San Fernando and Cadereyta, has received a total of 190 bodies from various violent events, such as the mass murders of migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, which occurred in 2010 and 2011, as well as the 49 bodies abandoned in Cadereyta, Nuevo León, in 2012. Of this total, the Commission has managed to identify 97 people, which represents 51% of the cases received.
"44% of the identifications achieved to date were obtained with samples from forensic databases in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras," the Foundation said in coordination with families of missing persons.
"One of the Forensic Commission's special practices is for experts to conduct interviews with families, a practice that is not common. These interviews allow the Forensic Commission to build bonds of trust with the families, obtain valuable data for the identification process, and gather background information that is useful for defining lines of investigation," it was explained.
Another institutional pillar mentioned was the Mexican Foreign Support Mechanism for Search and Investigation (MAEBI), created in 2015, which allows relatives of missing migrants to file reports from Mexican consulates and embassies in Central America. This option is especially relevant for those who, due to economic circumstances, insecurity, or immigration restrictions, cannot enter Mexican territory to file a report in person.
One of the main achievements mentioned was its ability to channel complaints that were previously trapped in bureaucracies or ignored altogether. It also integrated complaints into Mexico's official law enforcement systems.
However, the report criticized the MAEBI for lacking a solid structure and sufficient resources. It was detailed that its operation depends largely on the willingness of state prosecutors' offices and coordination with the Attorney General's Office. In many cases, reports sent from abroad do not translate into effective investigations due to a lack of inter-institutional coordination and specialized personnel.
Eleconomista
