Migrant caravans moving north in Mexico are not a recent phenomenon and have previously gained national attention. In 2018, a migrant caravan drew the focus of then-President Donald Trump, leading to increased border enforcement measures in the United States.
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Thursday, Nov. 2, a growing number of migrants are making their way north from Mexico’s southern border to the United States, accompanied by civil protection officials and ambulances. Initially, around 3,500 people began their journey on Monday near the Guatemalan border, according to Mexican officials. However, recent estimates from organizers suggest the group has expanded to approximately 7,000.
Irineo Mujica, an organizer affiliated with the group “People Without Borders,” has emphasized that migrants often face unsanitary conditions, frequently resorting to living on the streets when detention centers become overcrowded while they wait for humanitarian visas from Mexican authorities.
Within Mexico’s overburdened immigration system, which has witnessed over 10,000 migrants reaching the U.S. border in one day, those seeking visas often endure waiting periods of weeks or even months. During those periods, they cannot engage in work.
The migrant caravan is more than 1,000 miles away; nevertheless, this development adds to the mounting pressure on the U.S. southern border.
The caravan coincides with an increase in migrants choosing a dangerous route through Panama’s Darién Gap.
Border officials have observed a surge in Chinese migrants. They have been guided by detailed social media posts from other Chinese migrants who have successfully completed the same journey.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that apprehensions of Chinese nationals at the U.S. southern border have surged to over 24,000 for fiscal year 2023, representing an 1,100% increase compared to the previous year.
The journey through the Darién Gap has become popular for Chinese migrants because they can enter Ecuador without a visa and then join Latin American migrant groups to make the trek north.
Friday, Nov. 3, President Biden is expected to host South American leaders for a summit on migration to reaffirm its commitment to cooperation on economic growth and addressing irregular migration.
MIGRANT CARAVANS MOVING NORTH THROUGH MEXICO ARE NOT A NEW PHENOMENON. SOME HAVE GAINED NATIONAL HEADLINES. IN 2018, A CARAVAN CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF THEN-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, LEADING TO INCREASED BORDER CRACKDOWNS IN THE U.S.
TODAY, A GROWING NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ARE JOURNEYING NORTH FROM MEXICO’S SOUTHERN BORDER TO THE UNITED STATES ESCORTED BY CIVIL PROTECTION OFFICIALS AND AMBULANCES.
INITIALLY, AROUND 35-HUNDRED PEOPLE BEGAN THEIR JOURNEY MONDAY NEAR THE GUATEMALAN BORDER, ACCORDING TO MEXICAN OFFICIALS. HOWEVER, MORE RECENT ESTIMATES FROM ORGANIZERS SUGGEST THE GROUP HAS GROWN TO APPROXIMATELY 7-THOUSAND.
IRINEO MUJICA – AN ORGANIZER FOR THE CARAVAN, AFFILIATED WITH THE GROUP “PEOPLE WITHOUT BORDERS,” – HAS STRESSED THAT MIGRANTS CONFRONT UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, OFTEN LIVING ON THE STREETS WHEN DETENTION CENTERS ARE OVERCROWDED WHILE THEY WAIT FOR HUMANITARIAN VISAS FROM MEXICAN OFFICIALS.
WITHIN MEXICO’S OVERBURDENED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM – MOST NOTABLY SEEING MORE 10-THOUSAND MIGRANTS REACH THE US BORDER IN ONE DAY – THOSE SEEKING VISAS FREQUENTLY WAIT FOR WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS, UNABLE TO ENGAGE IN WORK.
THE MIGRANT CARAVAN IS MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND MILES AWAY. STILL, THIS DEVELOPMENT ADDS TO THE GROWING PRESSURE ON THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.
THIS CARAVAN COINCIDES WITH A INCREASE IN MIGRANTS USING A DANGEROUS ROUTE THROUGH PANAMA’S DARIÉN GAP
BORDER OFFICIALS HAVE SEEN A SURGE IN CHINESE MIGRANTS, GUIDED BY DETAILED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FROM OTHER CHINESES MIGRANTS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THE SAME JOURNEY.
U-S CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION REPORTED THAT APPREHENSIONS OF CHINESE NATIONALS AT THE U.S SOUTHERN BORDER HAVE SURGED TO OVER 24-THOUSAND FOR FISCAL YEAR 20-23, THAT’S AN 11-HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE.
THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE DARIEN GAP HAS BECOME POPULAR FOR CHINESE MIGRANTS BECAUSE THEY CAN ENTER ECUADOR WITHOUT A VISA AND THEN JOIN LATIN AMERICAN MIGRANT GROUPS TO MAKE THE TREK NORTH.
ALL THIS COMES AS BIDEN IS EXPECTED TO HOST SOUTH AMERICAN LEADERS FOR A SUMMIT ON MIGRATION TOMORROW TO “REAFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT FOR COOPERATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TACKLING IRREGULAR MIGRATION”
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