It must be done where their first point of entry to Mexico is, clarifies National Migration Institute
Given this situation, information was requested on the measures taken to verify the health status of migrants in Baja California Sur with the intention of entering the United States and others in general.
According to the representative of the National Migration Institute (INM) in the entity, Manuel Cordero Esparza, this is not directly involved in health measures, since this responsibility falls on local health agencies.
He explained that although there are health requirements that must be met by the means of transport used by migrants, such as vehicle disinfection and the use of certain chemicals, the verification of the health status of passengers, he reiterated, is not the competence of the INM.
He pointed out that this task corresponds to other institutions, such as the State Commission for the Prevention against Health Risks (Coepris) and the Ministry of Health (SSA), in turn regulated by the Epidemiology area.
René Francisco Cota Avendaño, subcommissioner of Coepris, explained that the International Health Regulations are adopted by the member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Among other provisions, it states that vessels that touch for the first time a point of entry to the country, must undergo a visit from International Health.
During the visit, health controls are carried out to ensure compliance with the established requirements and the absence of sick people on board is verified.
Cota emphasized that this is not the case of the African migrants who arrive in Baja California Sur, because it is not their first point of entry to the country, since they come from states in the south of the Republic.
Consequently, the responsibility of verifying the health status of these migrants falls on the local authorities of those entities, who should establish specific protocols for this purpose.
In the absence of direct competence of the National Migration Institute (INM) in health matters, the importance of coordinating efforts between various institutions to guarantee the health and safety of international migrants and the local population was recognized.
Source: El Sudcaliforniano
