250,000 deported this year

Migrants, the vast majority from Central America, are generally sent to their home countries by bus

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El Universal
October 23, 2006

So far this year, Mexico has deported 250,000 Central Americans who entered the country illegally and were detained by authorities, National Immigration Institute Commissioner Hipolito Treviño said in a recent interview.
The Central Americans are repatriated "with absolute respect for human rights," Treviño said.

´HUMANE TREATMENT´

He denied that authorities in Mexico treat Central Americans trying to cross the southern border into Mexico worse than U.S. authorities treat Mexicans trying to enter the United States illegally, as some U.S. critics allege.

He said some 250,000 people from Central America have been detained so far this year in Mexico and that recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) on treatement of the migrants have been followed.

"We have complied with all the recommendations with respect to immigration stations; we have opened the largest immigration station and it meets all the requirements set by the Human Rights Commission in Tapachula," a city on the border with Guatemala, Treviño said.

He added that the migrants are given "excellent" treatment and the quality of their food has been certified.

"We return them on buses that are first class, with air conditioning, with 10 movies in Spanish and a bathroom," Treviño said.

Guards are posted on buses taking people back to their home countries, he said.

´HUMAN ERROR´

"Sometimes human errors are made or there are people who, even though they are employees of the institute, may act in an unacceptable way, but I am talking about 250,000 cases," Treviño said.

A total of 193 National Immigration Institute officials have been fired for different reasons, including corruption, after the agency´s internal affairs unit investigated and recommended they be let go.

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