Migrant crisis escalates in Mexico: Thousands journey towards U.S. border

By Horace Palacio: Amid escalating migration issues, a massive caravan of migrants from Central America, Venezuela, and Cuba has embarked on a journey through Mexico, heading towards the U.S. border. This development, as reported by Yahoo News, coincides with the anticipated visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Mexico City, where discussions on managing the rising number of migrants seeking entry into the United States are on the agenda.

The caravan, the largest seen in more than a year, consists of about 6,000 people, including numerous families with children. This surge of migrants highlights the challenges faced by the Biden administration and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government in their efforts to deter migration.

Beginning their march from Tapachula near Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala on Christmas Eve, the migrants encountered a passive stance from security forces. This approach appears to be in line with previous strategies where authorities have allowed migrants to proceed until they are worn out, before offering them temporary legal status, which many then use to continue their journey north.

Cristian Rivera, a migrant from Honduras who left his family behind, shares his plight of waiting months for a response. He expresses hope that this march will bring about the necessary change to obtain permission to head north.

Complicating matters are the agreements made by López Obrador in May, to accommodate migrants from countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, rejected by the U.S. for not following new legal migration and asylum pathways. Despite these agreements, the number of migrants is surging, disrupting bilateral trade and sparking anti-migrant sentiments among conservative U.S. voters.

The U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in illegal border crossings, with as many as 10,000 migrants detained daily at the southwest border. This situation has led to interruptions in cross-border rail traffic in Texas cities such as Eagle Pass and El Paso, with migrants traveling atop freight trains.

López Obrador has expressed willingness to collaborate with the U.S. on migration issues but also urges the Biden administration to ease sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela. He advocates for more aid to be directed to developing countries in Latin America. These statements were made in anticipation of a high-level meeting with the U.S. delegation, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall.

However, Mexico’s capacity to assist the U.S. in managing the migration crisis may be limited. In December, the Mexican government had to halt a program for repatriating and transferring migrants within the country due to a lack of funds. This year, Mexico has detected over 680,000 migrants residing illegally, and the number of foreigners seeking asylum has reached a record high of 137,000.

This latest caravan, the largest since June 2022, underscores the ongoing migration challenges and complexities in the region, particularly as high-level discussions are set to commence between U.S. and Mexican officials.

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