Sessions summaries Causes and effects of the migration of young people in Mexico
Reference Dialogue: World Youth Festival

The president of the Instituto Michoacano de la juventud Gabriela Molina said that “The phenomenon of migration by young Mexican people is a legal and political problem”. This problems affects a number of young people from 20 to 35 years who leave their country in search of a better future, and embark upon the adventure of crossing the United States border, very often risking their own life. The explanation for this recurring phenomenon is the shortage of work and of opportunities to complete secondary or higher education. Similarly, there is great social inequality, and evidently the temptation to try one's luck in the land of easy consumption is inevitable. .

Unfortunately, figures and studies indicate that the standard of living is often improved, although the social cost is quite high. They lack minimum social services such as health, the right to retirement or access to North American citizenship. In turn, they are forced to live “in clans” since discriminatory violence is substantial. .

This migration leads to the disintegration of the family, as parents, brothers and sisters and/or spouses and children are left behind. The statistics show that after the sale of petrol, the second major source of currency entering the country is from money sent from the USA, by legal and paperless Mexican residents. 18% of the population live off this money. Another important problem is being separated from the family and the so-called “migrant's syndrome”, i.e. after a long time away from home you do not know which place you belong to. .

Incipient pilot programmes are being developed to keep people in schools, and job creation to stop people from abandoning the small neighbourhoods. If this problem continues to snowball a major generational segment could be lost. The government is making small changes, now young people must face their future with greater expectations, and therein lies the challenge.