A small group of migrants has left Tapachula, a town near the Mexican border with Guatemala, in the hope of reaching the United States.
The caravan, which left on Thursday, is mainly made up of Venezuelans, as well as migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador, according to The Independent, which did not mention the presence of Haitians in this particular group. Yet Haitians are also one of the majority groups in the town of Tapachula, in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
The migrants have expressed their frustration at the restrictions that prevent them from moving freely across Mexico.
While previous caravans often declared their intention to reach the US border – a goal rarely achieved – the final destination of this group remains uncertain.
President-elect Donald Trump’s firm promises to block the entry of migrants into the United States and deport those already there further complicate the situation. What’s more, Mexican authorities are under increasing pressure to adopt a tougher stance towards migrants seeking refuge in the United States.
“We’re fed up with being stuck in Tapachula,” said Giscarlis Colmenares, a 29-year-old Venezuelan who has been waiting almost three months for an appointment to apply for asylum in the United States via the CBP One application. Her immediate goal is to reach Mexico City to find a job. “We’ll work to see if we can get ahead, or at least save enough money to return to Venezuela,” she told The Independent.
Tapachula’s limited resources, combined with the increase in the number of migrants, have created significant difficulties for those seeking refuge. Many migrants, like Douglas Ernesto, a Salvadoran traveling with his wife and 10-year-old son, see Mexico City as a more realistic target. “Our goal is the U.S., but if that’s not possible, we’ll stay in Mexico,” he said, adding that leaving Tapachula represented a daunting challenge.
Previous caravans have often faced major obstacles, such as harassment, arrests and forced repatriations by Mexican authorities, often just a few kilometers from Tapachula.
While the large caravans of 2018 and 2019 sometimes benefited from assistance, including transport, more recent groups were quickly dispersed by the authorities. Thus, it is unlikely that this caravan will reach the United States. In addition, irregular migrants in the United States are living with growing uncertainty as Donald Trump’s return to the White House approaches in less than a month’s time.