Mexico City is increasingly turning into a destination for youth on the move, including refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. To better understand the barriers they face to labor integration, and opportunities for support, IRC launched an assessment in June 2025.

This assessment explores the main barriers, perceptions, and strategies that young people identify as key to their labor integration in Mexico City. It adopts a market-systems perspective by incorporating insights from the private sector and civil society organizations. Using a participatory approach, the study combines qualitative and quantitative data collection with a review of secondary sources. The analysis highlights institutional barriers (such as legal and documentation challenges, administrative costs, and limited access to regularization), structural barriers (like informality, underutilization of talent, and lack of degree recognition), and social barriers (including discrimination, stigma, and cultural differences). The report offers actionable recommendations for government institutions, civil society, and companies to strengthen labor integration pathways for youth on the move.

Available documents & links