Tapachula (Mexico), January 20 (EFE).- The Free Peoples Without Borders association has called for the first migrant caravan of 2023 to leave this Saturday from Mexico’s southern border to the United States, as foreigners have been locked up for more than two years. Months without the attention of the National Institute of Migration (INM).
This new caravan, called “The Peace of Christ”, will pass through the city of Tafachula with white flags as a sign of peace, in addition to carrying plastic bags to collect garbage, where crowds of people will pass.
The leader of the group, Jesus Hernandez, explained this Friday that this first contingent of people will leave at 8:00 am (4:00 GMT) along with people of different nationalities who suffered by sleeping on the streets in the middle of the cold. and the sun
In a message to the media, he asked the Mexican government to support them in reaching their first stop, the neighboring state of Oaxaca, where they are asking for humanitarian aid and buses.
“If you understand, migrants have been locked up for more than two months, and there are serious situations when the authorities do not understand this,” he condemned.
Carolina Sánchez from Venezuela commented that they are stuck in the city waiting for a permit.
“The uncertainty is that we are going as a family and we hope that they will let us into the family nucleus,” he said.
The caravan follows a new immigration policy from the United States, which announced on January 5 that it would accept 30,000 migrants each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under a special program, but would immediately deport the rest who arrive by land. in mexico
Despite this, migrants like Venezuelan Darwin José Barrio Zapata will try to cross because they believe they have already sacrificed “everything”.
“We sold everything to move to the American dream and we have to put up with everything because a lot of effort is being made to get to Mexico and that’s where the difficulties arise,” he told EFE.
Most people in this caravan will walk slowly and some will have legal documents.
“Either way, you have to try and let everyone know how to get into the United States, they’re already halfway there, even though the United States has said its border is closed to people. Jesus Hernandez said.
The caravan reflects record migration flows in the region, which in fiscal year 2022 saw 2.76 million undocumented immigrants apprehended at the US border with Mexico.
In 2022, Mexico received 118,478 petitions from migrants seeking asylum, the second highest number since 2021 with 131,448, according to the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (Comar).
Source: El Diario
