Foreign Ministry and UNAM Review Joint Progress on Behalf of Migrants

• The Foreign Ministry and UNAM strengthen their strategic partnership to assist and protect Mexicans abroad
• Since February 2025, the UNAM Acción Migrante (Migrant Action) Platform has assisted more than 1,408 users with mental health care, legal guidance, and training
• "There is vast potential to bring Mexican communities in the United States not only legal advice and psychological support, but also the benefits of education, which is the university's core mission," said Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas
• Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente underscored that the Foreign Ministry's primary task is the care and protection of Mexicans around the world, regardless of their immigration status

Today, the Foreign Ministry and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) held a meeting to review the results of their collaboration at the one-year mark of the UNAM Acción Migrante (Migrant Action) Platform.

The two institutions signed a cooperation agreement in December 2024, and the platform launched in February 2025. Since then, the tools available to migrants have been expanded. The platform is a digital resource that provides comprehensive support to people in various mobility situations through specialized services such as legal counseling, psychological support, and training courses.

These efforts complement the consular protection work the Foreign Ministry carries out abroad, particularly in the United States. The meeting provided an opportunity to assess how the platform's projects have impacted that work, and updates were presented on the new consular services model, which streamlines procedures and brings the consulates closer to Mexican communities.

The platform coordinates the work of multidisciplinary teams from various UNAM academic units in partnership with Mexico's consular network and a range of public institutions, with the aim of providing reliable information and specialized guidance. Its services are intended for a broad audience, including Mexican migrants in the United States, consular staff, and first responders, as well as Mexicans returning home and people in situations of human mobility within the country.

From its launch through February 4, 2026, the platform had more than 81,000 visits - an average of one visit every six minutes. By March 4, 2026, 956 mental health screenings had been completed. In July 2025, UNAM established its Legal Guidance Call Center, which handles inquiries on Mexican law.

Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente underscored that the Foreign Ministry's primary task, as instructed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, is to provide assistance and protection to Mexicans around the world, regardless of their immigration status.

"That is the ministry's priority, and nothing else. Fulfilling it requires partnerships like the one we have today with UNAM and other institutions, so we can maximize our ability to be there when we need to be," he added.

He stressed that Mexico needs coordinated work, solidarity, and maximum efficiency in support of its people abroad. "We have essentially two tools: diplomatic and legal," he said. "We are working to use them as effectively as we can, while also creating conditions to support our people in other equally sensitive areas, such as their psychosocial needs."

UNAM Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas praised the close collaboration between the two institutions over the past year through the platform, which has resulted in a diverse range of legal and psychological support services for Mexicans abroad, as well as successful examples of nursing interventions in the Arizona area.

"We can also extend the university's core mission: the benefits of education. There is much more to do, and working alongside the Foreign Ministry we can build on these efforts and expand the goals we have set for ourselves," he said.

Hearing that the platform receives a visit every six minutes and has logged more than 81,500 visits and over 30,000 regular users, Rector Lomelí suggested that additional services could be offered, including online medical consultations through UNAM's medical faculties and access to cultural programs for Mexicans abroad. He reaffirmed the university's commitment to continued collaboration.

Undersecretary for North America Roberto Velasco Álvarez highlighted the progress made under the new consular services model, which has standardized and simplified procedures throughout the consular network, allowing users to know in advance which documents are required for each service and when offices are open. He also mentioned the changes instructed by President Sheinbaum and Foreign Secretary De la Fuente aimed at strengthening consulates' ties with local communities, including public hearings and in-person outreach by consuls in service areas.

Director General of Consular Protection and Strategic Planning Vanessa Calva Ruiz stressed that defending the rights of Mexicans abroad is a non-negotiable priority for the Mexican government and the guiding principle behind every action of the consular network.

She noted that the three components the UNAM partnership contributes to consular protection - legal guidance, mental health support, and training through the platform - have given the consular protection strategy stronger, more comprehensive, and more proactive tools in service of Mexicans abroad.

In the platform's second year, the two institutions expanded their collaboration. New initiatives have been added to increase and publicize knowledge on migration and human mobility, including: the University Repository of Migration Studies (RUEM), a digital space collecting UNAM academic output on migration and mobility; the Migrant Calendar, which publicizes events of interest; and the Migrant Log, a newsletter aimed at strengthening ties with the institutional network of academics working on these issues. These resources pool information, publicize activities, and coordinate the efforts of both institutions on behalf of migrants.

For more information on the platform's services, visit: https://accionmigrante.unam.mx