Mexico reinforced security on the southern border after the arrival of a caravan of Honduran migrants fleeing poverty and violence. They seek to cross the country to reach the border with the United States…//
Thousands of Honduran migrants left their country and started a caravan to cross Central America and Mexico, with the goal of reaching the United States.
President Donald Trump responded with threats to this journey that began last weekend, while the Mexican government announced measures to stop the flow of migrants.
This caravan is made up of more than 3,000 people — minors, women and seniors among them — fleeing violence, poverty and human rights violations in Honduras, according to information from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico (UN-DH).
The caravan began to disperse after entering Guatemala and facing police resistance, but began to take shape again on the northern border of Guatemala with Mexico.
Members of the Caravan that are already in Tecún Umán indicated that once the bulk of the contingent has been assembled, they will assess how and at what time they intend to enter Mexico and request humanitarian visas to continue on their way to the United States.
One migrant, who identified herself as Ana, said that the calls to form caravans to take the road to the United States (spread on social networks) and the null opportunities to have a decent life in her country are causing many people who previously did not dare to travel on the migratory route to try now. “We are no longer afraid,” said the young migrant.
To enter the country the Hondurans need a visa, or they can apply for recognition as refugees before immigration authorities — a process that takes up to 45 days. In case they enter illegally and decide to continue on their way to the United States, they can carry out a similar procedure before border authorities.
“We do not know what the Honduran people are going to request when they enter Mexico, but many of those people are looking for a refuge,” said Madeleine Penman, Amnesty International’s Mexico researcher.
Mexico reinforces surveillance at the border
On Wednesday morning two planes of the Federal Police arrived at the Tapachula International Airport, with some 244 additional agents to help the National Institute of Migration (INM) to face the unprecedented massive arrival of migrants to that southern city of Chiapas
After the arrival of the reinforcements, commanders of both institutions made ground tours at the border points of Talismán and Ciudad Hidalgo while a helicopter flew over the Suchiate River, the natural border between Guatemala and Mexico.
Hours before, the INM issued a statement, in conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior, to warn that anyone who enters the country in an irregular manner, “will be rescued and subject to administrative procedure and, where appropriate, will be returned to their country of origin, in a safe and orderly manner “.
According to the text, those who seek to enter the national territory and request the recognition of refugee status or be a beneficiary of complementary protection measures, must do so individually before the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (Comar).
The commissioner General of the Federal Police, Manelich Castilla Craviotto, arrived in Chiapas on Monday to support the tasks of the INM. He informed the media in the immigration office of Ciudad Hidalgo that the agency under his charge is ready to carry out the “containment” work in support of the immigration authorities.
“Federal forces come unarmed with containment tasks,” said the official.
The commissioner of the INM, Gerardo García, said that only people who bring their visa with them will be admitted to the country and that those who enter through the irregular passage will be detained in the INM facilities to start the necessary procedures.
Text: León Ramírez via Punto Medio
