SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Many migrants arriving in Tijuana are deciding to stay put, securing jobs in construction, restaurants and maquiladoras, city officials say.
“We don’t have an exact number, but we can point to success stories of migrants joining the labor ranks, including many migrants from Haiti,” said Carlos Espinoza Jaramillo, president of the Entrepreneurial Coordinating Council of Tijuana.
He also stated that more than half of migrants arriving in Tijuana are Mexicans from the states of Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca who are coming due to security and personal safety issues back home.
Espinoza Jaramillo believes many migrants who are waiting for appointments to cross the border should be allowed to work in Tijuana while they wait.
“We’re not necessarily talking about foreign migrants from other countries that we are receiving — when you talk about including migrants in your hiring practices, you can’t just speak of foreign nationals, but migrants from other parts of Mexico as well,” he said.
One of the biggest obstacles for migrants trying to secure employment, however, is dealing with banks and opening bank accounts required by employers.
“Whether you’re a foreigner or Mexican national, you need a bank account to set up direct deposit,” Espinoza Jaramillo said. “If banking institutions would make it easier for this to happen, more migrants could secure jobs.”
Read: Read More