Stuck in limbo: once-promising migrant visa plan shelved as U.S. battens down the hatches. (Spotlight).

Once enjoying a prominent place on the Mexico-U.S. political agenda, the migrant worker temporary work visa scheme has slipped off the radar screen and political observers are wondering if it will ever return.

The program--designed to allow thousands of workers to go to the United States legally for a given period of time and work in the agricultural sector or service industry--has been championed by rights activists who say it would cut down on border deaths and improve relations between the neighboring countries. Dozens of migrants lose their lives each year trying to traverse the highly dangerous crossings of either the baking desert or treacherous Rio Bravo.

This plan for temporary visas emerged as an early beacon in the Fox administration's bilateral relationship with the United States but was lost following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when the U.S. administration placed a premium on security and tightening of borders. Rockefeller Center visiting scholar Barbara Driscoll, a doctorate expert on Mexico-U.S. relations, says it's going to be a long climb back up the agenda ladder.

A POLITICAL QUESTION

"I don't think President George Bush considers this matter politically important enough to take off the shelf. As long as he is considering security in a very broad context, he possibly thinks he does not need to address either the Mexican or the Canadian border directly," said Driscoll.

"But people will continue to come, and we will continue to see some very unpleasant incidents on the border with an increase in injuries and deaths because it is more difficult to cross."

However, Driscoll applauded Bush's choice of Tony Garza as the new U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and said Garza's appointment might restore some of the goodwill that has been lost between the two nations.

Former Mexican Finance Secretary and Foreign Relations Secretary Jose Angel Gurria wholeheartedly agrees that Garza, a prominent Texas Republican with Mexican roots, will be a valuable asset in putting the temporary worker visa plan back on course.

"If ever there was somebody who has a particular feeling and a particular understanding of the issue it is President Bush," said Gurria, who served under former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. "And now with Tony Garza here as ambassador, hopefully we will be able to make the United States concentrate more on this."

Gurria was quick to point out the complex nature of the situation and the presence of other players--specifically the U.S. Trade Department, the Treasury, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Congress, and powerful unions--that may not be so amenable to increased U.S. access for Mexican migrants.

In order to counterbalance these forces, Mexico needs "to knock on the door, to constantly remind the U.S. administration this is something that needs to be addressed," Gurria said.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

The person who is doing that knocking is Mexico's Chief Negotiator on Migration Gustavo Mohar.

He contends this is not just a question of supply and demand, in terms of Mexican labor and the insatiable U.S. industrial machine, but rather a political and social issue that can bring the once-distant neighbors closer together.

"We understand that Sept. 11 created a turning point in U.S. foreign and domestic policy for many reasons. But we think it's now time for them to understand that this issue is still pending, and it's time to take it up again.

"We understand all the considerations, but ... the flow of people has continued regardless of Sept. 11. Even with a recession, even with a slowdown in the U.S. economy, the demand for Mexican workers has continued."

The specific nuts and bolts of the scheme, which have yet to be finalized, will be demand driven. Mohar explained migrants will enjoy the same rights as a native worker, but people must fully follow the rules concerning length of stay. If not, then they will be permanently excluded from the program.

The family left behind in Mexico will receive temporary support services from the Social Development Secretariat (Sedesol).

The migrant worker would also receive a full range of services such as transportation, medical and accident insurance and, in some cases, housing benefits.

The planned time of stay would be a maximum of two to three years, with a requirement of returning to Mexico for at least a year before applying again.

One obvious advantage will be the drastic reduction in illegal crossings, which will not only cut down on deaths but also help the U.S. Border Patrol concentrate its efforts on drug smuggling and possible terrorist activity.

"We are looking at establishing the rule of law, to provide both safety and security. It will always be much better to know who is leaving, where they are, and who is employing them," said Mohar. "We also feel that after Sept. 11, this makes even more sense in terms of national security."

Although far fewer numbers of people are involved, Mexico and Canada have had a similar temporary worker scheme for 28 years, which involves stays of between three weeks to nine months.

"This has been extremely successful, and I don't know why we don't have something very similar with the United States," said Colegio de Mexico sociology professor Gustavo Verduzco, who specializes in migration.

Verduzco also explained that due to an ever-tighter and well-patrolled border, those Mexicans who have successfully and illegally crossed the border are obliged to stay much longer in the United States, because they are unsure of whether they will be able to cross again.

A spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said they were unable to comment on the issue.

James Blears is a Mexico City-based freelance writer and a correspondent for Standard Radio News in Mexico.