The Assistance Center for Migrant Girls, Boys, and Adolescents, operated by DIF Cancún, is a vital resource for migrant children. Each year, over 200 minors, primarily from Central and South America, enter Quintana Roo irregularly. Currently, the center is providing support to 20 such individuals.

Marisol Sendo Rodríguez, the head of the municipal agency, revealed that 14 of these are minors from various parts of the world, predominantly Central America. She shared, "We recently provided shelter to an Indian family of six – parents and children. That makes 14 adolescents currently in our care, totaling 20 individuals."

This is the second Indian family that the center has accommodated in recent weeks due to a lack of proper immigration documents. The previous family has since returned to their home country, as coordinated by immigration authorities. Presently, the center is housing six members of an Indian family.

Additionally, among the 20 individuals being cared for at the center, five are underage migrants who were rescued by authorities from a ranch in Leona Vicario, Puerto Morelos, on March 30th. Due to a lack of suitable facilities, they were transferred to Cancún while their situation is being resolved.

Since its establishment on June 28, 2023, the Assistance Center for Migrant Girls, Boys, and Adolescents has assisted 93 people, the majority of whom are unaccompanied minors without immigration documents. The majority of these minors hail from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, with a significant number also from Brazil and India.

Rodríguez emphasized that the center provides a range of support services, including medical and psychological aid, while the National Migration Institute (INM) works on resolving their immigration status.

According to the Migration Policy Unit, 219 minors entered Quintana Roo irregularly in 2023. The figure for the first quarter of 2024 stands at 47. Of those who have arrived this year, 25 are aged between 12 and 17, while 22 are aged 11 or younger. The majority of these minors are from Brazil (13) and Guatemala (13).