Over the past two fiscal years, The vast majority of Colombians have been detained on unauthorized trails or points on the southern border. This is indicated by official data from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (CPB) and a recent analysis by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
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According to statistics, between October 2022 (when the 2023 fiscal year started) and the most recent figure for May 2024, 261,621 meetings with nationals have been recorded.
Of those, 248,023 were arrested by Border Patrol members, while 13,598 turned themselves in to agents at official ports of entry. That is, almost 95 percent of Colombians were trying to enter through unsanctioned routes, which are generally used by coyotes and other criminal gangs dedicated to illegal human trafficking.
Crossing the U.S. border between ports of entry is dangerous and illegal. Migrants face many dangers along the journey.
While arrests are recorded at a variety of points along the more than 3,000 kilometers of border between United States and Mexico, MPI analysis based on CPB figures indicates that there are certain areas that tend to be preferred.
During 2023, for example, the highest number of encounters occurred near El Paso, Texas, with 42,000 arrests (26 percent of the total), followed by the area of San Diego, Californiawith 38,000 (24 percent), and the sector of Del Rio, also in Texas with 33,000 (21 percent).
But in fiscal year 2024, according to MPI, the pattern has changed somewhat. So far in this period, which began in October of last year, there have been 46,000 encounters (45 percent of the total Colombian encounters) in the San Diego sector, followed by 18,000 in El Paso (17 percent) and 13,000 in Del Rio (13 percent).
According to MPI, the shift coincides with a change in the routes of all migrants, who now prefer areas further west of the border.
“This is likely due to many different factors, including increased law enforcement in Mexico, a more volatile and dangerous situation, security conditions in certain Mexican cities (Matamoros, Ciudad Juarez, Reynosa), policy changes in Texas (tightened controls), smuggling routes, and routes in general, which are often transmitted by word of mouth,” the report states.
What is the profile of Colombians who try to enter the United States illegally?
There has also been a slight change in the type of people who are detained at the border.
In 2023, 47 percent of those who arrived did so in family units, while 52 percent were adults traveling alone.
In 2024, the figure will be 41 percent for families and 58 percent for individual adults.
The remaining percentage is made up of minors who arrived or were detained while travelling on their own. In 2023, the number of minors totalled 1,390, while in 2024 it will reach 1,205.
In general, a large majority of detained Colombians invoke political asylum once they are arrested. Although there are still no specific statistics on the number of asylum requests, data emanating from the courts where they are referred for processing suggest that almost all opt for this alternative.
Which poses an additional problem for the Colombian government, which also does not have accurate information.
According to sources consulted by this newspaper, Once Colombians invoke asylum, the United States restricts access to assist them because it is assumed that they are persecuted in the country where they come from, and in many cases, they claim political persecution.
Once Colombians invoke asylum, the US restricts access to assist them because it is assumed that they are persecuted in the country where they come from, and in many cases, they claim political persecution.
However, the same sources maintain that the US has begun to reject many of these requests en masse because they have detected a pattern in the applications of Colombians in which many invoke identical reasons. That is, unrelated people repeating the same story of persecution as if it were a learned script.
These rejections have increased since June 5, when President Biden’s administration announced a series of new measures, including raising the requirements required to justify political persecution and request asylum.
In a recent statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that since that date, asylum application procedures have been tightened, especially for those who are detained trying to enter between entry points, which is the case for most Colombians.
Migrants face many dangers along the journey. Smugglers, criminals, cartels and bad actors take advantage of vulnerable migrants…
“Crossing the U.S. border between ports of entry is dangerous and illegal. Migrants face many dangers along the journey. Smugglers, criminals, cartels, and bad actors prey on vulnerable migrants, who are at risk of kidnapping, extortion, and other threats to their personal safety. The terrain is treacherous, and they risk medical problems such as injury, heat stroke, and dehydration or drowning,” DHS said.
According to this agency: “Migrants caught crossing the border illegally will face arrest, detention and deportation.. These migrants face severe consequences: removal from the U.S., a five-year ban on returning, and potential additional criminal penalties that remain on their permanent record for years. Our message remains the same. Migrants should not put themselves or their families at serious risk and should use legal avenues to reach the United States.”
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
Correspondent for EL TIEMPO
Washington
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