5,000 Migrants Set Out From Mexico’s Southern Border

[ad_1]

TAPACHULA, Mexico — About 5,000 migrants from Central America, Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti set out on foot from Mexico's southern border Monday, walking north toward the U.S.

The migrants complained that processing for refugee or exit visas takes too long at Mexico's main migrant processing center in the city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border. Under Mexico's overwhelmed migration system, people seeking such visas often wait for weeks or months, without being able to work.

The migrants formed a long line Monday along the highway, escorted at times by police. The police are usually there to prevent them from blocking the entire highway, and sometimes keep them from hitching rides.

Monday's march was among the largest since June 2022. Migrant caravans in 2018 and 2019 drew far greater attention. But with as many as 10,000 migrants showing up at the U.S. border in recent weeks, Monday's march is now just a drop in the bucket.

"We have been traveling for about three months, and we're going to keep on going," said Daniel González, from Venezuela. "In Tapachula, nobody helps us."

Returning to Venezuela is not an option, he said, because the economic situation there is getting worse.

In the past, he said, Mexico's tactic was largely to wait for the marchers to get tired, and then offer them rides back to their home countries or to smaller, alternative processing centers.

Irineo Mújica, one of the organizers of the march, said migrants are often forced to live on the streets in squalid conditions in Tapachula. He is demanding transit visas that would allow the migrants to cross Mexico and reach the U.S. border.

"We are trying to save lives with this kind of actions," Mújica said. "They (authorities) have ignored the problem, and left the migrants stranded."

The situation of Honduran migrant Leonel Olveras, 45, was typical of the marchers' plight.

"They don't give out papers here," Olveras said of Tapachula. "They ask us to wait for months. It's too long."

The southwestern border of the U.S. has struggled to cope with increasing numbers of migrants from South America who move quickly through the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama before heading north. By September, 420,000 migrants, aided by Colombian smugglers, had passed through the gap in the year to date, Panamanian figures showed.

[ad_1]

Source link : https://www.voanews.com/amp/migrants-set-out-from-mexico-s-southern-border/7334044.html Author : Publish date : 2023-10-30 03:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source .

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

5,000 Migrants Set Out From Mexico’s Southern Border

US prepared to face South American power Uruguay with its Copa America future hanging in the balance – The Hill

Bolivia vs Panama Prediction and Betting Tips | July 1, 2024 – Sportskeeda

Bolivia vs Panama Prediction and Betting Tips | July 1, 2024 - Sportskeeda

Bolivia’s President Arce Declares He Won’t Seek Re-Election: What’s Next for the Nation?

China Seeks Closer Ties with Lula and Latin America in the Wake of Trump’s Tariff Shock

Exploring the Virgin Islands Post-Irma: A Journey to a Transformed Landscape

Trump’s Bold Threats: A New Challenge to Canadian Statehood!

Colombia Clinches Victory Over Chile in Thrilling Copa America Showdown!

Colombia Steps Up: A New Agreement to Welcome Deported Migrants After Trump Tariff Tensions

American Airlines Expands Chicago-Costa Rica Flights Just in Time for High Season!

Caribbean Leaders Stand Firm Against Trafficking Accusations Amid U.S. Criticism of Cuba’s Medical Diplomacy

Uncertainty Looms for Dominica Cruises Following Hurricane Maria’s Devastation

Exciting Nominations Ahead: Key Updates from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee!

Categories

Archives