There are tens of thousands of Haitian refugees in Mexico, in particular in border cities such as Tijuana, and while many have adopted to life in Mexico, others continue to struggle to land jobs due to their lack of Spanish literacy, according to Diana Reyes Herrera, president of Tijuana’s Human Resources Association.
“This is emphasized in people who come from other countries and don’t speak Spanish, for example those from Haiti who speak French or Creole,” she said.
According to Reyes Herrera, some employers are going out of their way to hire translators to help train migrants and teach them Spanish.
“There have been many successful cases where foreign personnel have been embraced by companies and have thrived in their jobs.”
Reyes Herrera says employers see a benefit and are willing to take on the additional expense for interpreters and training.
“If you can achieve better communication, you can have greater success, these are strategies that we have implemented to help both companies and workers themselves.”
According to Reyes Herrera, immigrants are badly needed to fill job vacancies throughout the Baja California maquiladora industry where there is a “critical shortage of personnel.”
