The Mexican manufacturing industry has more than 10,000 unfilled jobs to offer migrants in the border city of Tijuana alone, says Gerardo Vazquez, president of the manufacturing industry council in the state of Sonora (INDEX Sonora).
“It’s a win-win-win,” he says, because it could help the government deal with an influx of migrants, provide workers for factory jobs and provide migrants a decent living.
“The people aren’t looking for a day, two or three, of food,” he says. “They’re looking for a dignified life, and we think we can offer that with work.”
But the industry also relies on exporting goods to the United States and wants to prevent border closures, he adds.
“A situation like this could lead make them close the commercial ports,” he said. “And we want to do our part in solidarity, too, so that United States isn’t receiving everyone.”
Since October, the industry has accepted more than 2,500 applications from migrants and is already providing temporary employment to about 550 people until their legal status is confirmed, Vazquez says.
Once migrants qualify for asylum in Mexico, they would also receive refugee assistance from the United Nations, he added.
In Sonora, there are about 1,000 manufacturing job openings, Vazquez says, mostly in the border city of Nogales.
