Mexico Tells Schools to Enroll Migrant Children Without Documents

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Migrant children and teenagers in Mexico cannot be denied access to basic education because they lack identification documents or are in the country without legal status, according to a protocol issued by Mexico’s Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) and UNICEF Mexico.

The new directive tells schools they must accept enrollment requests from migrant families even if the child does not have a birth certificate, a CURP identity number, or school records from a previous institution. School staff may not ask for proof of regular immigration status as a condition for admission, nor can they reject a student because paperwork is missing.

When documents are incomplete, schools are required to continue with the enrollment process and guide parents, guardians, or the student on how to obtain the necessary paperwork later.

Enrollment allowed at any point in the school year

The protocol specifies that families may request a place after the school year has already started, and schools must handle those requests.

If a student cannot show proof of studies completed abroad or at another school, the lack of records must not keep them out of the classroom. Education authorities are expected to assess the student and assign the appropriate grade so they can continue their education.

The protocol also makes a clear separation between admitting a student and resolving pending administrative issues: schools cannot demand that families complete identity paperwork or validate earlier schooling before allowing the child to attend class.

The policy applies to all migrant girls, boys, and adolescents regardless of nationality or immigration status, with the goal of ensuring that unresolved paperwork does not interrupt their basic education.