MEXICO CITY - Mexico’s immigration agency announced Tuesday that it has temporarily suspended visits by civic, activist and religious groups to migrant detention centres, though its parent department later seemed to be backing away from the move. Such visits have long served as a safeguard to check on the treatment of migrants, some of whom have complained in the past of crowding, prolonged detention and unsatisfactory conditions. The U.N. Human Rights office in Mexico wrote that the work of such civic groups “is a key contribution” to migrants. It was unclear whether that meant visits would now be allowed. The institute said U.N. human rights and refugee officials had been allowed to visit one of the largest detention centres, located in the southern city of Tapachula, on Friday.

Source: thestar January 29, 2020 01:52 UTC