Multiple groups of migrants are currently making their way north from southern Mexico, with more scheduled to depart this week, according to reports from Mexican news outlets in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala.
According to reports, thousands of migrants and activists in Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, are facing dire circumstances. They are currently staying in public parks, streets, and hostels, unable to find jobs, and struggling with hunger.
Additionally, there is a growing fear among them that asylum in the U.S. may become more difficult if Donald Trump wins the presidency. The caravans are assembling as a result of these challenging conditions.
On October 5, the initial caravan comprising 600 to 800 individuals departed from Tapachula. Following their removal from cargo trains, a group of 139 participants gathered in an auditorium in San Cosme Xaloztoc, Mexico, as reported by El Sol de Tlaxcala.
Some of the 100 single men, 23 women, and 16 children from Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti, who are part of the “God Guides Us” caravan, expressed their continued desire to cross into the United States. According to reports, Mexican immigration officials have assured them that they will not be detained.
People with backpacks were seen wandering the streets, and police officers were seen guiding them inside the auditorium. The newspaper published photos capturing these moments.
On Sunday, a second caravan comprising of almost 1,000 migrants departed from Tapachula. This week, 150 participants successfully reached Oaxaca, racing against time to avoid the potential consequences of President Trump’s promise to shut down the border and deport millions of undocumented migrants residing in the United States.
According to the migrants interviewed by NVI Noticias in Oaxaca, they expressed their dissatisfaction with the lengthy process of applying for an asylum appointment in the U.S. through the online CBP One app. They also mentioned that traveling in a caravan provides them with protection from criminals and smugglers.
In a recent interview with journalist Azucena Uresti, he highlighted that the recent massacre of migrants by the army, where soldiers mistakenly identified them as smugglers, has instilled even more fear among the population.
According to Garcia, there is a significant backlog of migrants in Tapachula due to the bureaucratic processes of Mexico’s National Migration Institute.
Currently, there are approximately 40,000 to 45,000 migrants, with 30 percent of them from the Middle East and Africa, who are stranded and attempting to reach the United States before the year’s end.
Garcia emphasizes that this situation only serves to expose them to smugglers who are working in collaboration with authorities.
At least 4,000 migrants are already on the move out of Chiapas, either in caravans or smaller, family-based groups, according to him.