Central America & Mexico
At the Council, we are dedicated to advancing the rights of refugees and migrants across Central America and Mexico.
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Regional context
The Northern Triangle of Central America and Mexico are facing a severe violence crisis that has displaced hundreds of thousands, exacerbated by poverty, instability, climate change, and the pandemic. The Council is focused on challenging detention-based policies that are the default response in the region. Through strategic advocacy and litigation, it also combats the discrimination faced by refugees fleeing slow-onset climate events or disasters. Additionally, the Council supports efforts to ensure access to and protection of rights such as health, employment, caregiving, and Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in accordance with international law standards.
The Network
The Central America & Mexico network was founded following the Council’s regional consultation held in Mexico City in 2023 with co-hosts Asylum Access Mexico. Through convening members at a regional level, the aim of the network is to be able to identify the key issues facing refugees and migrants in the Central America & Mexico region with the practitioners working there. We work alongside these experts to tackle these issues collectively, centring those affected. We support a growing community of over X members based in the region with their community and strategy development, litigation and advocacy, and training needs.
As a member of the network, you can connect and collaborate with other members in the region via a dedicated listserv and whatsapp group. Through these platforms you can share real-time updates and questions, identify opportunities for support and collaboration, and distribute important news and events.
Regional Work
Community-Building & Strategy Formation
Over the course of the next few years, Silvia will work with members in the region to co-create a regional strategy for advancing refugee and migrant rights. Some of the core priorities we are currently working on include:
- identifying and supporting advocacy efforts to combat discrimination, particularly against Haitian refugees
- collaborating with regional partners to challenge U.S. migration policies that heavily impact the journeys of migrants and asylum seekers
- opposing the widespread use of migrant detention for refugees throughout the region
- identifying litigation and advocacy necessities related to climate displacement to provide expert support
- convening regional strategy workshops to discuss relevant policy and law
Over the course of the next few years, Silvia will work with members in the region to co-create a regional strategy for advancing refugee and migrant rights. Some of the core priorities we are currently working on include:
- identifying and supporting advocacy efforts to combat discrimination, particularly against Haitian refugees
- collaborating with regional partners to challenge U.S. migration policies that heavily impact the journeys of migrants and asylum seekers
- opposing the widespread use of migrant detention for refugees throughout the region
- identifying litigation and advocacy necessities related to climate displacement to provide expert support
- convening regional strategy workshops to discuss relevant policy and law
Technical Assistance
The Council provides free technical assistance to members working on litigation in national, regional, and global forums to protect refugees and migrants’ rights. This includes case strategy development, drafting legal arguments, research, evidence-gathering and more. Our collaborations, which bring together community organizations, refugee leaders, and lawyers, have delivered justice for thousands of refugees and migrants in courts across the world.
See our latest successes and impact in the Latest Regional Highlights section below.
Capacity Building
We provide tailored training and resources to enable members in the region to increase their impact, think ahead and pivot quickly to tackle new challenges. Types of assistance we provide include: responding to members’ requests to run training on specific issues (such as challenging externalization policies) or legal strategies (such as how to best use regional court mechanisms) or skills (such as how to engage with the media).
Look back at the latest training we have run for our Americas members in the Latest Regional Highlights section below.
Regional litigator
Silvia Serna
With experience and passion for defending human rights, Silvia coordinates and supports the Council’s Central America & Mexico regional network. She is also currently supporting the South America and Caribbean network. In collaboration with members of the network, she identifies high impact strategic litigation and advocacy to advance the rights of forcibly displaced people across the region.
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Get supportMembers of the GSLC in Central America & Mexico
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Founding Members