Mexico's President says that the country turned down US-funded migrant transit centers

The president of Mexico announced on Tuesday that he had turned down a request from the United States to establish transit hubs for migrants in Mexico. An application center for work permits and refugee visas for migrants is located in neighboring Guatemala.

Despite the fact that a sizable number of migrants enter the United States through Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has thus far rejected a request from the United States to establish sites in Mexico, stating he would prefer to have such centers in countries that are the sources of migration.

Speaking about the possibility of a shared plan on such sites, López Obrador announced that he would bring up the topic at a gathering of Latin American leaders that he will be hosting later this month.

Palenque, in southern Mexico, is the location of the meeting. Countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize are anticipated to be present.

Central American nationals wishing to apply for work permits, family reunifications, or refugee status can do so at migrant transit centers in Guatemala that have been established with US funding.

A larger migration strategy that includes the centers aims to lessen the large influx of migrants to the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean.

After offices are opened in eight locations throughout Guatemala, applications with appointments will eventually be accepted there.