The Mexican Government has a legal framework that prohibits the immigration detention of all children and adolescents, with policy that provides for appropriate care.
However, in 2017 more than 18,000 children and adolescents were detained. There are no effective processes for determining the best interests of the child, there are very few supports to ensure access to rights, and there is no mechanism for children and adolescents to participate in the decision-making process during their migration or asylum procedure. The capacity of the child protection systems need to be strengthened, particularly in terms of budgets and training of staff.
Despite these significant challenges, Mexico has seen some successful initiatives between government and civil society that provide a basis to improve Mexico’s score.