[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

MEXICO (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Mexico does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Mexico remained on Tier 2. These efforts included opening more investigations and convicting more traffickers; adopting stronger victim identification SOPs for immigration officials; and enacting a new National Action Plan (NAP) for 2022-2024. Courts convicted more labor traffickers, and the government issued a resolution that established a process for prohibiting the import of goods produced with forced labor. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government reported identifying significantly fewer victims. The government failed to allocate funds to a legally required victim assistance fund; overall services for victims were inadequate compared to the scale of the problem; and services were acutely lacking for male victims, forced labor victims, and victims in rural areas. The government did not investigate, prosecute, or convict any complicit officials. Fraudulent recruitment practices for work within Mexico and abroad continued to be widespread, but the government did not take steps to hold recruiters or labor agents accountable.

Prioritized Recommendations

Implement the NAP’s strategic action plan on victim services, in consultation with international organizations and NGOs, to include shelters, comprehensive services, and reintegration support for all victims, including men and boys, LGBTQI+ individuals, labor trafficking victims, and Indigenous persons, and allocate sufficient funding for implementation.

Develop and implement SOPs for front-line officials at state and federal levels to proactively identify victims among vulnerable groups in Mexico and overseas – including individuals in commercial sex, children apprehended for illicit gang-related activities, Cuban medical professionals, and migrants, including migrant workers – and refer them to service providers for assistance.

Increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, including labor trafficking and those involving complicit officials, at both the federal and state levels.

Strengthen efforts to hold labor recruiters, including informal “enganchadores,” accountable for fraudulent recruitment practices that facilitate forced labor within Mexico and abroad.

Provide improved security to victims and witnesses testifying against traffickers, and ensure victims are not unlawfully detained, coerced into testifying, or otherwise re-traumatized.

Allocate funds to a legally required victim assistance fund to cover restitution payments convicted traffickers are unable to pay and develop a mechanism to ensure victims receive court-ordered payments.

Increase funding to NGOs that provide services to victims.

Conduct culturally relevant awareness campaigns in local languages targeted for rural, migrant, and Indigenous communities that provide information and resources to seek assistance.

Strengthen data collection efforts.

Vigorously implement new procedures for prohibiting the importation of good produced with forced labor.