The caravan of thousands of migrantss, which departed on Christmas Eve 2023 from Tapachula, southern border of Mexicocame to an end this Tuesday after having advanced about 105 kilometers and surrendering to agents of the National Migration Institute (INM) in the municipality of Mapastepec, state of Chiapas.
After nine days of marchthe huge group of migrants agreed to get on the INM buses to be able to complete an immigration process at the facilities of the National System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family (DIF), located about 50 kilometers from Mapastepec, next to the customs from Huixtla.
Before boarding the buses, the immigration agents invited them to board the vehicles voluntarily, giving priority to children, mothers, women and vulnerable people.
“We extend the invitation and on a voluntary basis to those who want to board the buses that the INM provides to transport them,” the agents declared.
Some male migrants traveling alone initially refused to be transferredbecause they wanted to continue walking towards Pijijiapan, so as not to return to Huixtla, about 50 kilometers from Tapachula.
Luis Rey García Villagrán, activist from the Center for Human Dignification (CDH), who accompanies this exodus, informed them that they will enter into a process and will be taken to Mexico City.
García Villagrán had informed the thousands of migrants on Sunday that the Government of Mexico, as of Tuesdaythe process for a regular stay in the country would begin.
Caravan of thousands of migrants traveling through Mexico towards the border with the United States.
“In the caravan there are many sick children, pregnant women, disabled people,” Villagrán told the migrants and warned that the next point “is 43 kilometers away is Pijijiapan and there is no place to rest and it would be about 18 hours walking, it is the your decision.”
Honduran migrant Wilnber Abisai, who is traveling with his wife and two minor children, agreed to get on the immigration bus because he said he is interested in going to Mexico City and being legally in the country.
“Yes, we are going to do the process, because we are interested in being in Mexico legally, we have already walked a lot, we have suffered, our feet hurt, walking 48 kilometers is not easy, we accept the INM's proposal to do the process and Thus continuing our path is the best option,” he told EFE.
Another of the migrants, Honduran William Adalí Romeo Pérez, accepted the proposal of the Mexican authoritiesbecause they will carry out the process before the DIF, however, he rejected that they are surrendering to immigration.
Caravan of migrants advancing towards the border with the United States.
“I'm going for my family, that's why I do it, but here no one is giving themselves up, I'm going with my son, my wife and two girls, we trust in Immigration but in God, the children are already tired and we can't continue walking,” he said. .
As of tonight, more than 600 migrants had agreed to board about 12 buses, while the authorities continue to organize families to be transferred.
The caravan of the so-called exodus from poverty got ready from 06:00 local time (12:00 GMT) to wait for the buses, but it was not until 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) that the first group of 50 left. people.
The caravan of thousands of migrants, which left Mexico's southern border as the largest in 2023, was mobilized through a part of the state of Chiapas, where historic numbers of people seeking to enter the United States have been recorded on the border with Mexico.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed last week the arrival of more than 2.2 million migrants from January to November last year.
EFE
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