MEXICO CITY, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government on Friday offered temporary work, health services and education to minors of Central American migrant families.
On social media, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the program "Estas en tu casa" ("You're at home") targeting Central American migrants who "comply with Mexican laws" and legalize their migratory status.
"We know very well that you are seeking opportunity; you want to build a new home and a better future for your family and loved ones. Mexico extends its hand. We want all migrants to feel a sense of calm and protected," Pena Nieto said.
Thousands of Central American migrants, mainly Hondurans, entered Mexico last week without proper visas as part of a caravan heading for the United States.
The program can allow them to receive medical care, send their children to school, live in shelters, and have access to temporary work, he said.
At the same time, he named two conditions: the migrants must be in the states of Chiapas or Oaxaca and their family members must have applied for admission or shelter with the National Institute of Immigration (INM).
The program is "a first step to a permanent solution for those who obtain refugee status in Mexico," Pena Nieto said.
The Central American migrant caravan left on Oct. 19 for the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to detain and crack down on it upon their arrival. The caravan is currently in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas.
Mexico is under U.S. pressure on the issue of caravan migrants. The INM has reportedly received refugee requests from more than 1,700 Central American migrants who have arrived at the country's southern border since Oct. 19.
