The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine has not yet had any impact on Mexico, other than fueling inflation. Mexico provided humanitarian support to Ukraine and at the same time evacuated several of its citizens and members of their families. Mexico for free delivered Ukrainians to Romania who were unable to return to their homeland due to the cessation of regular flights. The President of Mexico condemned Russia's aggression, but at the same time stated, adhering to a pacifist position, that his state would not impose sanctions, but would provide asylum to both Ukrainians and Russians. Ukraine's request for military assistance remained unanswered. This is where the significant events end.
But the war significantly intensified migration. It is allowed that the number of Ukrainians and Russians who are now coming to Mexico has decreased due to the cessation of organized tourism. But the number of those traveling to Mexico with the goal of staying here has increased sharply.
Mexico has simplified entry requirements? Not really. Checks upon entry to Mexico of citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have become less thorough, but have not stopped. Yes, at passport control they ask much fewer questions, but you still need to have a return ticket and a reservation, and there are cases when Ukrainian citizens cannot enter the country without a return ticket, even though they have all the conditions for acquiring refugee status.
Have there been fewer refusals at entry? We believe that no, it is gone. Nobody knows the exact statistics except the migration service itself. We rely on the experiences of friends and messages on social media.
Much more often, the FMM migration form began to include 180 days — maximum permitted period of stay in Mexico. With October they usually gave a much smaller number of days. Now the period indicated in the FMM upon entry is not so important, since the form can be easily extended up to 180 days as an exception, and even if not extended, deportation still does not threaten.
Refugees do not need a passport. No, I need it. Nothing has changed. Without a foreign passport, you will not be put on the plane and will be denied entry to Mexico. In addition to this, an electronic permit or visa is needed.
Getting to Mexico has become more difficult. Ukrainians, as before, have access to many routes other than direct flights. For Russians, flights are mainly available on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul or on Emirates via Dubai. Turkish Airlines, in addition to sharply raising ticket prices, are increasingly requiring return tickets only for their own flights. Emirates and some European airlines follow the same practice. It seems that now the main barrier on the way to Mexico — these are airlines.
We suspect that the airlines' actions are largely justified. You have the opportunity to consider yourself a refugee, but you still need to have a return ticket from Mexico and other confirmation of the tourist purpose of the trip. The common belief that visa-free transit through Europe is possible if you do not leave the transit zone of the airport, in fact, is fraught with being denied entry if, say, you are flying to Istanbul — Amsterdam — Mexico City by different airlines.
People are not being deported from Mexico now. Yes, citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are not currently being deported from Mexico. Because there is nowhere to deport, there is no reliable air service.
Citizens of these three countries have the right to contact the migration service and extend their migration form up to 180 days without payment. Often this is not necessary, it is enough to carry a passport with you. It is still unclear what to do when these 180 days are over. Only those who received 180 days upon entry are able to prepare an extension for the next 180 days, and there are still few of them, and they extend it for money. The rest can only wait for some special decision. One way or another, during migration checks, citizens of the three countries with expired migration forms are currently not detained.
Note: deportation — expulsion from the territory of the country, therefore from denial of entry — not deportation.
I can’t return to my homeland, what should I do? Consulates recommend not to wait for «export» flights, and look for tickets for regular flights yourself. If you don't want to leave Mexico right now, you have the right to do nothing. Go to the migration service, renew your FMM or always carry your passport with you. At least for the next few months, you are safe in Mexico, and there should be no questions about your legal status in the country.
When flying from Mexico with an expired migration form, you do not currently need to pay for a new form at the airport.
It is now easy to obtain refugee status in Mexico. Nothing of the kind! Despite the statements of the President of Mexico, there are currently no special conditions for obtaining refugee status by citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Today we see that they will not exist. Refugee status was and is given within the framework of the current legislation, and not special rules. It is quite easy to obtain temporary asylum, but not refugee status. Ukrainians will be given it because the UN Commissioner for Refugees has declared the highest level of danger in Ukraine due to military operations. But for some reason, the Russians, in their characteristic categorical manner, decided that they also suffered. When the time comes to interview for refugee status, you will have to prove as a fait accompli that the war has brought an immediate threat to life. We think that then the time of disappointment will come.
Now there is a large queue of refugee status applicants outside the migration service office in Cancún. Lawyers are great at helping you file your petition. But few of them (or rather, no one) are confident in receiving a positive decision on granting refugee status to citizens of Russia and Belarus. Lawyers have accumulated extensive experience in applying for asylum for citizens of Cuba and neighboring Latin American countries; the situation there is approximately the same: economic and political problems, but there is no threat to life.
Applying for asylum in Mexico does not exclude the need to have funds for food and accommodation. The maximum you can count on is — You are allowed to stay free of charge in humanitarian hostels or shelters. But even there the period of stay is limited, most often to two weeks.
Moving live to Mexico just got easier. We don't agree! From the point of view of obtaining a residence permit in the country, nothing has changed; the war only has the right to speed up the implementation of plans for relocation to another country. Most of those currently granted temporary asylum (temporary visitor status for humanitarian reasons) will still be forced to leave Mexico after the war ends. Until then, they cannot leave Mexico unless they want to lose their status. Some of them will get married, have a child or find a slave, and then they will be able to stay.
The Mexico Consulate in Moscow has not become less demanding of those who want to get a Residence based on economic viability. It looks like it has become more strictly worn. Probably, the increase in the number of requests for a visa of this type, caused by the desire to emigrate from Russia no matter where, forces the diplomatic mission to select applicants more carefully. In addition, the desire to move to Mexico is often driven not so much by the desire to live in a quiet country, but by the desire to save one’s savings or protect a source of income, and the consul understands this.
It’s not possible to quickly move to Mexico, from open an account here, transfer your savings or start processing income, but already being in Mexico. To open an account in a Mexican bank, as before, you must be a resident of the country, and from July 1, a mandatory requirement to have a tax number is added.
As before, the ideal way to obtain permanent resident status in Mexico for the whole family — give birth to a child here. On the one hand, the growth of the dollar limits this prospect. On the other hand, if you have decided to give birth abroad, in Mexico it is now easiest to implement these plans. Two positive points related to migration issues: it is now easier for pregnant citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus to get to Mexico due to a more loyal attitude at passport control, and if you exceed the permitted period of stay after entry, you do not need to fear sanctions.
From Mexico it is easier to obtain a US visa or a Schengen visa. Mexico resident status makes it possible to apply for a visa at consulates located within the state. In most cases, as a tourist you are not able to do this. But there is an opportunity to apply for a visa and purchase a visa — two big differences. If you justify the purpose of the trip, confirm your financial viability and especially — confirm your connection with Mexico as the country where you will return after visiting the US or EU, you will be given a visa. But if your status in Mexico is related to humanitarian reasons, most often you will be denied a visa.
The problem of illegal migration to the United States through Mexico has not gone away and has not even faded into the background. Mexican and American media publish numerous materials about refugees from Ukraine and Russia who are fleeing war and whom the United States is «deploying» while trying to cross the border in Tijuana. Very soon, Mexico will have to regulate the current wave of migration, as it did in the second half of last year, arranging additional checks at airports and denying entry.