MEXICO / GRANDI REFUGEE SHELTER

Mexico has seen a surge in numbers of asylum applications, notably from Central Americans fleeing conflict and persecution. During a recent visit, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi toured a shelter housing refugees and migrants, noting the efforts made by Mexico to provide urgent protection to those in need. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:59
• Production Date: 4 October 2019
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: MIGRANTS; REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: MEXICO
• MAMS Id: 2463334
• Parent Id: 2463334
• Alternate Title: unifeed191004d

Description

STORY: MEXICO / GRANDI REFUGEE SHELTER
TRT: 2:59
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRCITION: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 SEPTEMBER 2019, TAPAUCHULA, MEXICO

Shotlist

1.Wide shot, blurred of shelter in Tapachula housing asylum seekers
2.Med shot, asylum seeker standing at the door of her room
3.Close up, asylum seeker sweeping floor of shelter
4.Various shots, HC Filippo Grandi receiving tour of shelter
5.Med shot, child walking in shelter
6. Med shot, asylum seeker sweeping floor
7.SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Asylum Seeker:
“One day, we said, that’s enough. The last note we received said we had 48 hours to leave our home. We had no other choice than pack our bags."
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“And your house?”
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Asylum Seeker:
“One day, we said, that’s enough. The last note we received said we had 48 hours to leave our home. We had no other choice than pack our bags."
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“They took it over?”
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Asylum Seeker:
“Yes, they took it over. We had no choice but to get out for fear of being killed.”
12. Med shot, asylum seeker’s hands alongside her son’s
13. Med shot, HC and UNHCR staff listening
14. Med shot, UNHCR speaking to asylum seeker
15. Close up, feet
16. Wide shot, HC and asylum seeker speaking
17. Med shot, boy in shelter
18. Med shot, father and daughter in shelter
19. Wide shot, HC shaking hands with asylum seeker
20. Wide shot, asylum seeker in shelter

Storyline

Mexico has seen a surge in numbers of asylum applications, notably from Central Americans fleeing conflict and persecution. During a recent visit, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi toured a shelter housing refugees and migrants, noting the efforts made by Mexico to provide urgent protection to those in need.

As the United States enacted more restrictive policies on asylum, a recent spike in the number of applications has renewed Mexico’s status as a destination for those fleeing conflict and persecution—particularly people from El Salvador and Honduras, which are among the world’s most violent nations.

With more than 48,000 asylum applications filed up to the end of August, Mexico has seen a 231 per cent increase in the number of asylum applications, compared with all of last year. As recently as 2014, the country received just 2,137 applicants, and the number of claims has consistently increased year by year.

During his daylong visit to Tapachula, Grandi underlined the important role of COMAR, Mexico’s Refugee Agency, and stressed that its budget needed to grow in lockstep with the rise in asylum applications.