International

Over 140,000 asylum seekers in Mexico: GTPM calls for state-level legal protection

The inclusion of diverse migration profiles as individuals entitled to international protection, and their recognition across state-level frameworks, are among the key demands made this Friday by the Migration Policy Working Group (GTPM) to protect more than 140,000 asylum seekers currently in Mexico.

“We call for strengthened legislative action at the local level, recognizing asylum seekers and refugees as rights-holders within state legal frameworks,” urged the GTPM in a statement issued on World Refugee Day, commemorated each year on June 20.

Globally, Mexico ranked among the top five countries with the highest number of asylum seekers in 2023. This upward trend has continued in 2024, particularly in the southern state of Chiapas, the eastern state of Veracruz, and Mexico City, the nation’s capital.

The GTPM, a specialized network focused on developing migration and asylum policies grounded in human rights, stressed the importance of ensuring that the universal right to seek and receive asylum is respected. They called for the inclusion of key legal principles such as universality, interdependence, non-derogability, and progressivity, while also integrating gender, intercultural, and intersectional perspectives. These considerations are especially important given that, according to UNHCR, many women, girls, and adolescents are survivors of violence and sexual exploitation and require specialized care.

The group also demanded the monitoring and revision of state-level legal frameworks, to ensure they incorporate an inclusive approach that guarantees rights regardless of the individual’s migration status, employment, housing situation, security conditions, or gender identity.

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According to UNHCR, in 2024, 58% of migrants experienced some form of abuse while en route to Mexico. The most common crimes reported were theft (36%), followed by extortion (20%) and physical threats or intimidation (13%).

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”