Monday, May 16, 2005
Mexico publishes rules for consular ID cards
By Barnard R. Thompson
With the inflamed furor in the U.S. over illegal
immigration, and Mexico’s recurrent ability to throw fuel on the fire as regards to its undocumented workers en route
or already in the U.S., one would hope that more conciliatory and forward-looking thinkers might prevail. But the issue is just too heated on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
In each country there are inabilities — quite
possibly disinclination — to comprehend the concerns and needs of the other. And
with the public chorus of angry anti-illegal immigrant disapproval in the U.S., coupled with congressional elections in 2006
(as well as national Mexican elections), partisan sides are being taken in such a way that it will be hard to accomplish anything
meaningful (assuming the possibility actually exists).
From the U.S. reality however, and with the ongoing
threat of another 9/11, control over the nation’s borders and who enters the country are subjects of national security. This includes matters such as the issuance of standardized identification like state-issued
driver’s licenses, who can obtain such credentials, and what supporting documents will be required and acceptable.
Whereas for Mexico, that is in fact working with
the U.S. vis-ŕ-vis anti-terrorist border surveillance and control, there are reasonable concerns over the human, civil and
employment rights of nationals residing abroad. Too, there is a major need —
politically as well as socioeconomically, for the escape valve and billions of US dollars sent home annually by expatriates.
So, based on socioeconomic and political factors
and attitudes in both Mexico and the U.S., the two countries are at loggerheads. And
each side continues to throw imprudent brickbats at the other with little forethought to backlash.
On May 12 the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE)
published Mexico’s new “Matrícula Consular Regulation,” a consular registration and credentialing directive
regarding Mexicans living abroad, and while it may be with the best of intentions and in the national interest, the specifics
appear to offer few opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Moreover, it will
be viewed negatively in the U.S., with requisites and allowances seen as clear examples of hypocrisy and adverse logic to
the maxim “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
Mexican officials, with varying degrees of success
in some states, have long sought to have “Matrícula Consular” ID cards accepted in the U.S.
The new Regulation begins by defining its objectives,
which include the registration of Mexicans residing outside the country through area consulates, and the interconnected issuance
of consular identification cards, or Matrícula Consular Certificates, to those who register.
In order for a Mexican citizen living abroad to receive
a consulate issued ID card, that is valid for five years, he or she must meet a number of formalities and provide various
documents. Itemized points in Article 9 of the Regulations set forth the requirements.
Each applicant must appear in person at the consulate
within their jurisdictional area, where they fill out an application sworn to be true.
Each person must prove his or her Mexican nationality with a passport, birth certificate, nationality certificate or
proof of naturalization. In those cases when whoever does not have one of the
aforementioned documents, a sworn declaration of Mexican citizenship can be accepted, subject to the approval of consular
officials.
In the absence of any of the previously listed documents,
the Regulation allows accreditation of nationality through whatever proof presented and thought to be valid.
Proof of identity is also required. Acceptable documents for this purpose, all of which must include a photograph, are passports, Mexican voter
identification cards issued by the Federal Electoral Institute, Mexican driver’s licenses, or a driver’s license
issued by the foreign state where an applicant resides. Consular officials are
also empowered to accept other forms of identification they deem valid.
Next applicants for the Mexican matrícula identification
card must demonstrate that they live within a particular consulate’s jurisdiction.
The Regulation spells out the requisite documents as rent receipts or those for public utilities or services, social
security receipts, cancelled mail sent to the applicant, or again other documents a consular official may consider satisfactory.
Articles 14 through 18 set the requirements for those
underage and the handicapped.
Article 19 deals with confidentiality, invoking
the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Mexico’s Federal
Transparency and Access to Public Governmental Information Law. “That contained
in the Consular Registry is confidential, and only those authorized by the consular office and the (SRE) will be able to access
this” information, it states.
Barnard Thompson, a consultant with over 40 years
of experience in Latin America, is also editor of MexiData.info. He can be reached
via e-mail at mexidata@ix.netcom.com.
