1. Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación – SEGOB)

• Basis in legislation: The Ministry’s responsibilities are established primarily in the Law on Refugees, Complementary Protection and Political Asylum (Ley sobre Refugiados, Protección Complementaria y Asilo Político), the Migration Law (Ley de Migración) and their respective regulations.
• Functions: SEGOB is the federal authority responsible for migration and refugee policy. In refugee matters, it is responsible for coordinating public actions, strategies and programmes for the protection and assistance of asylum-seekers and refugees, promoting durable solutions, establishing coordination mechanisms among federal, state and municipal authorities, and facilitating access to public programmes and services. These functions are exercised principally through the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) and, in migration matters, through the National Institute of Migration (INM).

2. Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comisión Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados – COMAR)

• Basis in legislation: COMAR’s mandate derives from the Law on Refugees, Complementary Protection and Political Asylum, its Regulations and the Internal Regulations of the Ministry of the Interior.
• Functions: COMAR is a decentralized administrative body (órgano administrativo desconcentrado) within SEGOB and is the specialized federal authority responsible for conducting and deciding procedures for the recognition of refugee status and complementary protection. It receives and registers applications, conducts eligibility interviews and country-of-origin analysis, issues decisions and conducts procedures related to cessation, cancellation and revocation of refugee status. COMAR also provides institutional assistance through referrals and coordination with other public institutions, civil society organizations and international organizations, and promotes the legal, economic, social and cultural integration of refugees. COMAR does not issue immigration residence documents, administer shelters or provide direct financial assistance.

3. National Institute of Migration (Instituto Nacional de Migración – INM)

• Basis in legislation: The INM’s mandate is established primarily in the Migration Law and its Regulations, as well as in provisions of the Law on Refugees, Complementary Protection and Political Asylum.
• Functions: The INM is the federal migration authority responsible for implementing migration policy, controlling entry into and departure from Mexican territory, processing immigration status and documentation, and carrying out immigration procedures, including return and deportation where legally applicable. In locations where COMAR is not present, asylum applications may be submitted before the INM, which must refer them to COMAR for processing. The INM does not determine refugee status. It also plays a key role in issuing migration documentation to asylum-seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of complementary protection and must respect the principle of non-refoulement and access to the asylum procedure.

4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores – SRE)

• Basis in legislation: Its responsibilities derive from the Law on Refugees, Complementary Protection and Political Asylum and other applicable legislation.
• Functions: The SRE participates in the international protection framework, including by providing its opinion in refugee status procedures in accordance with the Law and by coordinating with SEGOB on durable solutions. It is also the competent authority for political asylum (asilo político), which is legally distinct from the refugee status determination procedure administered by COMAR.

5. National and State Systems for Integral Family Development (Sistema Nacional DIF and State DIF Systems) and Child Protection Authorities

• Basis in legislation: Their responsibilities derive principally from the Migration Law and the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Ley General de los Derechos de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes).
• Functions: DIF authorities and the federal and state Offices for the Protection of Children and Adolescents (Procuradurías de Protección de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes) have specific responsibilities regarding migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children. These include providing social assistance and appropriate accommodation, identifying international protection needs, developing and implementing rights-restoration plans, determining measures based on the best interests of the child, and ensuring that children and adolescents are not detained in immigration detention facilities.

6. State and Municipal Authorities

• Basis in legislation: The Law on Refugees, Complementary Protection and Political Asylum expressly provides for coordination between federal, state and municipal authorities, while sector-specific federal and local legislation governs access to individual rights and services.
• Functions: Mexico does not have a uniform sub-national refugee authority equivalent to COMAR. State and municipal authorities nevertheless play an important role in the effective enjoyment of rights and local integration of asylum-seekers and refugees. Depending on the distribution of competences and the particular state or municipality, these authorities may be responsible for or facilitate access to healthcare, education, civil registration, social assistance, housing and local employment and integration programmes. State and municipal DIF systems and child protection authorities have additional specific responsibilities regarding children and adolescents. The degree of institutionalization of refugee-specific policies and programmes varies considerably across states and municipalities.

Other relevant sectoral authorities

Other federal and local institutions are responsible for the effective implementation of specific rights, including authorities responsible for health, education, labour and employment, civil registration and identity documentation, and non-discrimination. Their role is particularly relevant after recognition of refugee status, as Mexican law requires public authorities to facilitate refugees’ access to public programmes and services under the same applicable legal framework.