MERLOS Mx: Advancing meaningful refugee participation to strengthen asylum systems

Snapshot

Entities sharing this good practice: MERLOS Mx (Mecanismo de diálogo RLO Mx)

Submitted by: Ana Lorena Valle Cornavaca and Lizbeth Guerrero

Key stakeholders: MERLOS Mx, Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) and UNHCR 

Visit their website: MERLOS Mx (link to Facebook page)

Good Practice

MERLOS Mx, established in December 2023, is a dialogue mechanism that brings together non-partisan, secular, and non-profit associations and collectives, led by refugees and forcibly displaced persons in Mexico. Its mission is to strengthen the meaningful participation of refugees and forcibly displaced persons in shaping public policies on protection, inclusion, and long-term integration. By centering the perspectives of those with lived experience of forcible displacement, MERLOS Mx critically assesses the current context of human mobility and related policies in Mexico and actively promotes dialogue among key stakeholders—including government actors and UNHCR— to develop timely solutions to support individuals in need of international protection. Importantly this also includes direct engagement with the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) on asylum procedures.

Built on a shared commitment to advancing refugee protection, MERLOS Mx is guided by a Common Ethical Minimum that promotes accountability and inclusivity through a multicultural space of trust, transparency, and respect for gender equality. With a vision to become the leading national and regional mechanism for meaningful participation of refugees and forcibly displaced persons, Merlos Mx prioritizes sustainable actions and collective impact. As of early 2025, MERLOS Mx includes five refugee-led organizations (RLOs): Association of Nicaraguans in Mexico; Support for Venezuelan Migrants; Collective for Peace in Colombia from Mexico (COLPAZ); the Organization of Nicaraguan Migrants in Mexico (OMIN) and the Collective Future without Borders. Additionally, two young refugee leaders participate in their personal capacity.

Impact of the good practice

Reflecting its core objectives of a) identifying challenges and opportunities that affect forcibly displaced persons; b) designing and implementing solutions; and c) supporting new or existing initiatives to increase meaningful refugee participation, MERLOS Mx stands out as a good practice. Its impact on strengthening the fairness and efficiency of asylum procedures in Mexico can be summarized into three key areas:

1. Strengthening meaningful participation in national asylum structures

The engagement between MERLOS Mx and COMAR demonstrates how RLOs can become strategic allies in strengthening national asylum systems.  MERLOS Mx provides the experience and perspective of forcibly displaced to support COMAR in building a fairer and more effective asylum system.

Key contributions include:

• In July 2023, MERLOS Mx was formally presented to COMAR, which resulted in COMAR accelerating the process of setting up the Quadripartite Mechanism for Protection and Solutions, a participatory space for influencing public policies affecting refugees. Initially planned for national implementation only, COMAR expanded the initiative to 10 locations where COMAR is present. Since October 2024, one national and 10 local mechanisms have been established.
• Thanks to the dialogue between RLOs and UNHCR initiated through MERLOS Mx, member organizations participated in the of Mexico City together with over 50 civil society organizations, including Shelters, a key protection actor and NGOs to support COMAR in this location. A MERLOS Mx representative currently leads the Advocacy Subgroup of the Mexico City PWG.
• MERLOS Mx made a submission during the development of the National Development Plan Mexico 2024-2030, advocating to strengthen COMAR and the asylum system in Mexico.
• MERLOS Mx with technical support from UNHCR, produced a video to counter misinformation about migration and asylum documentation. Shared via the “Confía en el Jaguar” page, the video obtained over 156,000 viewers.

2. Advancing regional and global advocacy and collaboration

MERLOS Mx has played a key role in advancing refugee participation at the regional level, particularly through its involvement in key policy processes and collaborative initiatives:

• MERLOS Mx coordinated the establishment of the Grupo Articulador de RLOs de América Latina y el Caribe also known as the of RLOs from Latin America and the Caribbean (GARLOs) ensuring refugee participation in the Cartagena +40 process and the Chile Action Plan. The GARLOs consists of a regional network of 200 RLOs.
• Through its involvement in the Chile Action Plan, MERLOS Mx has contributed to shaping the regional protection agenda and asylum systems for the next decade. Additionally, in coordination with civil society organizations and academia, MERLOS Mx jointly made a submission on how to track the implementation of the Chile Action Plan through a formal monitoring mechanism
• MERLOS Mx has participated in regional forums, including the meeting of Women-Led Organizations, held in Colombia in November 2024, in preparation for the Regional Conference on Women Beijing+30 Declaration as well as MIRPS Civil Society Dialogue Mechanism, where a MERLOS Mx member currently serves as president.
• MERLOS Mx joined regional platforms such as the Action Network on Forced Displacement – Women as Agents of Change and the Brazil Action Plan Articulating Group.
• Two MERLOS Mx members participated as speaker in the 36th virtual course on International Refugee Law, organized by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy. The mechanism is further preparing to join a PILNet-led initiative to create a multistakeholder pledge aimed at strengthening and expanding pro bono legal support for refugees and asylum-seekers.

3. Building refugee leadership and networks

As part of its commitment to strengthening refugee leadership and participation, MERLOS Mx delivered targeted trainings and convened key gatherings that enhanced the capacity of refugee-led organizations:

• Between September and December 2023, MERLOS Mx delivered the ‘Tools for Community Mobilization’ workshop for four organizations led by refugees. Participants were trained in leadership skills, effective communication, self-care, organizational structure, and regulations applicable to the formation of RLOs.
• In November 2024, MERLOS Mx organized the first National Meeting of RLOs and activists, identifying and training 40 community leaders and hosting six workshops on meaningful participation, communication, community mobilization strategies, community advocacy strategies, and the legal categories of displacement. These leaders now serve as bridges between refugee communities and government institutions. These initial workshops aimed at strengthening their capacity for advocacy and participation in dialogue mechanisms, as well as enabling them to develop strategies, communication campaigns and contribute to the National Development Plan of Mexico. This highlights the importance of investing in leadership training to enable meaningful and effective participation.

Lessons learned

The establishment of MERLOS Mx required significant institutional investment, developed through a multi-year process to strengthen refugee-led participation in Mexico. This effort unfolded in four key phases. In the first stage, starting in 2021, Casa Refugiados Program, a UNHCR partner, launched a call to legally register organizations or collectives led by refugees and forcibly displaced persons. This led to the formalization of two organizations—the Association of Nicaraguans in Mexico and the Association to Support Venezuelan Migrants—and the identification of other collectives, forming a small initial network. The second stage from April to December 2022, involved a consultative process to develop a joint work plan to inform UNHCR’s protection and solution strategies from the perspectives of displaced communities. It included two additional Mexico City-based collectives—Armocultura and the Network of People in Mobility and culminated in a presentation to the UNHCR Representative. In March 2023, MERLOS Mx began to take shape through monthly meetings of the four RLOs involved at the time, leading to the development of a joint work plan involving the drafting of guidelines, engaging in strategic meetings, which reflects the third stage. The fourth stage marked the formal launch of MERLOS Mx on 7 December 2023. More information on the launch session is available here. Since then, MERLOS Mx has continued its work, expanding its advocacy efforts, strengthening its work plan, and calling on new members to broaden participation.

MERLOS Mx demonstrates that shifting the perspective and viewing refugees as active and strategic actors beyond beneficiaries, can lead to significant improvement in asylum systems. RLOs, when empowered, can drive sustainable community-led mechanisms for asylum system improvement.

Combatting persistent negative stereotypes about refugees, the efforts of MERLOS Mx have shown that refugees possess valuable skills, knowledge and lived experience that can meaningfully inform government policies to improve the asylum and protection system.

Continuous training is key to strengthening community leadership and fostering effective participation. Training in national legislation, strategy formulation for advocacy, and other soft skills like leadership and communication, equips RLOs to meaningfully engage with State institutions.

In summary, the MERLOS Mx demonstrates that a participatory and refugee-centered approach is vital. When refugees and displaced persons are actively involved at all levels — from design and organization to, implementation and monitoring — the outcomes are more relevant, inclusive, and sustainable. The motto “nothing for refugees without refugees” is clearly reflected in the work of the organization.

Next steps

1. Support the technical strengthening of COMAR’s Quadripartite Mechanisms by promoting their sustainability both at national and local levels. This includes organizing workshops and training sessions for refugee spokespersons and interested RLOs, as well as identifying new funding sources for RLOs.
2. Implement an indicator system to measure the effectiveness of MERLOS Mx’s actions in strengthening asylum capacity in Mexico.
3. Support new community initiatives of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons through training and networking of RLOs.

 For further information please check MERLOS Mx’s Instagram and Facebook pages.