MEXICO CITY – Mexican Senate President Manlio Fabio Beltrones told Central American diplomats on Feb. 15 that Mexico would draft a new immigration law that provides protection for undocumented migrants passing through the country.

In a meeting with ambassadors and consuls from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica, Fabio Beltrones said senators will begin debating the bill this week.

Among other things, they are considering whether a migrant who is the victim of a crime should be authorized to stay in Mexico during legal proceedings.

The new law aims to protect human rights, giving equality to foreigners regardless of their status and would guarantee undocumented foreigners who have settled in the country access to health, legal and financial services.

Each year, about 300,000 Central Americans enter Mexico without documents on their way to the U.S.

Crimes against them have become more commonplace and grizzly. Last year, 72 undocumented migrants were murdered by members of a drug cartel.

[EFE (Mexico), 15/02/2011; A.M. (Mexico), 15/02/2011; La Jornada en Linea (Mexico), 15/02/2011]