History

At the beginning of the 90’s, after the peace agreements in Central America and the return processes of the refugees to their countries, the refugee issue was displaced by the peak of the migratory issue and the foreseeable impact of the free trade agreement’s phenomenon (increase in flows, policy toughening, and the increase in the violation to the migratory workers and their families’ human rights.)

In this context, the civil society organizations that previously worked on the asylum issue finished their activities whilst those who dealt with the migratory issue worked with a paternalist approach; leaving behind all the aspects of the phenomenon and revealing the need for the participation of the civil society in the definition of more adequate migratory policies and regulations.

Fabienne Venet, founder of Sin Fronteras worked on migration and asylum issues since 1989; first, in the Mexican Human Rights Academy, then in the Mexican Regional Office of the UNHCR. Fabienne decided to take the actions for the creation of a civil organization specialized in the migratory and asylum matters. She began the negotiations with the Mexican Regional Office of the UNHCR and was able to sign an agreement for Sin Fronteras' firts project in 1996; such agreement was signed keeping mutual interest always in mind. Fabienne Venet, being a former advisor for the UNHCR, was aware of its procedures and way of working, which was a guarantee for the adequate development of the urban refugees assistance project; at that time, Sin Fronteras did not have the sufficient resources to begin its work.

In this context, the institutional project Sin Fronteras is conceived as a civil organization specialized in the migratory theme with an approach clearly based on human rights, in the development of public policies and, with the purpose of placing the migratory issue back on the social agendas. This approach differentiates us from other civil organizations that work on the same issue.

Since then, the organization and the institutional project have been financed through the presentation of projects, to different funding sources; private donations are received as well. The opinions and activities of the organization are entirely independent from its funding sources. Our first donors were the UNHCR, The Refugee Foundation (Vluchteling) and the Consejería en Proyectos.  

Mission

Sin Fronteras I.A.P. is a Mexican non-profit, secular, and non- partisan civil organization working to contribute to a change in the conditions under which asylum and international migrations occur within a human right framework for the international migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and their families.

Vision

Sin Fronteras I.A.P.  is an established organization, consistent with its values,  which works  for the defense and promotion of human rights  and whose impact capacity results in the effective  improving  the access to human rights  for international migrants, asylum seekers  and refugees.

Values

• Public spiritedness: The participation in the public or private issues that affect other citizens, respecting the coexistence of the human rights holders and contributing to the securing of common goals.
• Ethics: The carrying out of the norms which provide coherence to the individual and institutional conduct.
• Honesty and Integrity: Behavior and expression based on the coherence and sincerity in accordance with truth and justice values.
• Respect: Acknowledgement and appraisal of the rights, qualities, and differences of others.
• Professionalism: Individual and institutional behavior following quality, discipline, competence, and responsibility criteria.
• Solidarity: Collective work for the benefits of the societies.

Objectives

• To contribute to the empowerment and the effective exercise of the rights of the international migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and their families.
• To contribute to the construction of an inclusive culture and based on human rights, with respect to international migration and asylum.
• To promote the development and implementation of a legal framework, comprehensive programs and public policies in accordance with international human rights standards.
• Strength the institutional capacity of Sin Fronteras.

Institutional video

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