The moment Venezuelan migrant Yuri Carolina Melendez set foot on Mexican soil earlier this week, she downloaded an important app she needed to schedule an appointment to apply for asylum in the United States.
The CBP One app has been in use for some time, but is now also available to migrants in Mexico’s southernmost states on the border with Guatemala.
This means that Melendez and others like her will be able to submit their applications as soon as they enter Mexico, rather than having to wait until they reach the central or northern parts of the country, as has been the case so far.
But Melendez remained skeptical: “I have to wait and see if it really works,” she said as she rested with her two daughters, ages 16 and 18, under a tree along a highway near the city of Tapachula, The Associated Press reported.
Edgar H. Clemente,/AP
Mexico is urging the United States to make the app available in the country’s southern regions to deter migrants from traveling further north to cities like Mexico City.
The country’s government is trying to contain migrants in the south, far from the U.S. border, but the lack of jobs and housing in cities like Tapachula is driving many of them north.
By allowing migrants to apply for asylum earlier, it is hoped that they will be able to avoid the dangers of continuing their journey, such as falling victim to the authorities or organised crime groups. With an appointment in their pocket, they can theoretically move around more freely.
The app gives migrants like 31-year-old Germin Alemán from Honduras a glimmer of hope. “We will apply here. We will wait for the appointment,” he says as he sets off for Tapachula with his wife and three children.
But even with access to the app, the reality remains uncertain for many migrants. Many are under pressure from debt and the need to find work. Some, like Melendez, feel they have no choice but to move on.
Marco Ugarte/AP
CBP One has become a key tool in the U.S. effort to address growing demand for asylum at its southwest border. Since its launch in January 2023, more than 765,000 people have used it to schedule appointments.
The Biden administration’s temporary suspension of the asylum process for illegal border crossings has made the app one of the few ways to apply for protection in the United States, with 1,500 appointments being made every day.
The number of illegal border crossings has dropped significantly since peaking in December 2023. Washington says this is largely due to Mexico’s enforcement efforts, which include arresting migrants in the north and returning them to the south.
Mexico welcomed the expansion of CBP One, with Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena saying it would be a great help.
But for many migrant and human rights groups, the expansion of CBP One is not a solution. In an open letter to the Mexican government, dozens of NGOs called the app a violation of international law.
They said it allowed the US to restrict access to its territory for those in need of protection. They also pointed out that many migrants were stuck in Mexico for months, staying in overcrowded shelters or unsanitary conditions and facing kidnapping, sexual assault and extortion.
Although Mexico’s National Immigration Institute theoretically allows migrants with CBP-One appointments to exit freely to the U.S. border, the NGOs said authorities sometimes detain migrants anyway and send them back south.
The situation in southern Mexico has become increasingly dangerous. Once a relatively peaceful region for its residents, the region is now embroiled in a violent territorial struggle between powerful drug cartels seeking to control the smuggling routes for drugs, weapons and migrants.
The CBP One expansion takes effect on Friday.
