Mexico is prepared to accept Mexican nationals deported from the US, the Mexican government has confirmed.
In a statement put out by Mexico’s foreign affairs ministry, the government committed to “work in coordination with federal, state and local authorities in the face of possible mass deportations.”
Mexico has stated that, although it will accept its own citizens, it will not serve as a “safe third country” for citizens of other countries. The country held this position during Trump’s first term.
The announcement comes after a month of uncertainty since Trump’s election win.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said last month that any strategy to address the problem of migration must “respect human rights.”
“We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples,” she said.
Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods if the border-crises are not addressed. The threat led to a desperate scramble to negotiate with Trump. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew directly to Florida to meet with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago, and announced tough new measures to prevent the movement of people across the Canadian border into the US.
The Trump team has also been in contact with other Latin American nations, including El Salvador, to discuss receiving migrants.