City of Juarez to open four new facilities to house migrants and children

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- In a morning news conference, city of Juárez officials announced these projects to host more migrants, children, and single women by the end of this year.

With a 250 million Mexican pesos investment (nearly $12.45 million), the city will build and maintain these new facilities.

The current city migrant shelter, Enrique "Kiki" Romero which is a gymnasium will be closed and migrants staying there will be moved to two new facilities located at Felipe Ángeles and Parajes del Sol neighborhoods in Northwest and Southeast Juárez respectively.

The Felipe Ángeles shelter is already operating; four new centers will begin construction soon.

The President of the Juárez Comprehensive Family Development (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), Rubí Enríquez, announced the upcoming opening of three new social assistance centers (CAS) for migrants, as well as a shelter for women.

The city of Juárez will not spend any municipal resources on this, the investment will come from the Federal Government, the head of the Juárez DIF announced in the news conference.

She also announced that these projects will come from the allocation and support granted by the Mexican federation through the National DIF and in turn, by the National Public Social Assistance System, as part of its intervention actions related to migrant children.

The city's Director of Human Rights, Santiago González said, "The key point is to promote health issues, economic integration, prevention of violence, and an orderly, safe, and dignified migration."

These new shelters will have all the basic services including internet for migrants.

Regarding the issue of the new municipal shelter, the director of the Municipal Institute for Women (IMM), Elvira Urrutia Castro, explained that until now, these spaces have been operated by civil society organizations, however, for the first time there will be a municipal one.

"This contributes to the national model of attention to women, which is made up of external attention centers, shelters, and transition houses; therefore, the comprehensive model will be available in Juárez," Urrutia said.

She added that this facility will simultaneously serve up to six or eight family units because it will have the necessary conditions for its operation, that is, everything necessary to live in a safe and protected space.

Currently, the "Kiki" Romero shelter can house up to 200 migrants. With the new Felipe Ángeles and Praderas del Sol shelters, the city will be able to house close to 600 migrants.

ABC-7 reached out to Director González who said the Human Rights Department will only oversee two out of these five shelters (Felipe Ángeles and Parajes del Sol).

The Human Rights Department will have funding for salaries, supplies, and food, among other amenities at the shelters.

Juárez shelters are currently at 30% of their capacities.