Mexicans Split on Whether Stricter Migration Policy Is Needed

(Bloomberg) -- Mexicans are divided about the need of tighter migration policies, amid a large influx of foreigners crossing their country toward the US border, according to a new poll.

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About 41% of respondents want Mexico to take a more restrictive stance on migration, while 40% favor more open policies, according to LatAm Pulse, a survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News. That’s in stark comparison with Argentina, Colombia and Chile, where the large majority of the population believes stricter policies are needed.

Particularly in Chile, 96% of respondents said a more restrictive policy is needed.

Mexicans’ relationship with migration has been shifting in recent years. Mexico is at the same time the top country of origin and the main transit route for migrants seeking to enter the US, but more recently it has also become a final destination for some newcomers.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said her administration, like that of her predecessor, aims to address the root causes of migration by boosting economic development, and that the US should help develop poorer countries to keep people from leaving their homes.

Asked to identify their top three concerns for Mexico, 57% of the respondents pointed to corruption. Inflation was cited by 37% of them, followed by insecurity and crime with 35%.

AtlasIntel conducted its survey for Mexico Oct. 10-15 with 1,803 respondents. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

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