Undocumented migrants use new routes to cross Mexico to the United States

Central American migrants are exploring new ways to cross the southern border of Mexico

Photo: Juan Manuel Blanco / EFE

For: EFE 26 of March 2021

VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico – Migrants seeking to reach the United States are crossing the southern border of Mexico from new little-used points such as the Grijalva River , on the border of the state of Tabasco with Guatemala, said on Tuesday the head of the National Institute of Migration (INM), Francisco Garduño.

Faced with the migratory panorama, the federal official announced that the Secretary of the Navy will implement an operation in the coming days to monitor the banks of the Grijalba River.

“We must watch the Ceibo-Tenosique (on the border of Tabasco with Guatemala). Many migrants are already passing by in boats on the Grijalva River. They have taken another route, it is no longer the route to Ciudad Hidalgo ”, he said, in reference to The usual route is to cross the Suchiate river and reach the southeastern state of Chiapas.

Garduño was in Villahermosa, capital of Tabasco, for the flagging and presentation ceremony of the groups trained for border control and humanitarian rescue.

Francisco Garduño assured that the border closure for non-essential activities will be peaceful, with strict respect for the human rights of migrants, through a plan of “controlled containment and sure. ”

He assured that the federal government will focus its strategy to attack migrant caravan networks that profit from families that They seek to fulfill the American dream.

“What we must attack are those networks that summon caravans (…) They use them to be passing (undocumented), between 100 Y 150, at a cost of up to 4. dollars ”, he stated.

Garduño affirmed that from January to date, 31, 500 people who are illegally in the country.

The INM official justified the presence of federal forces on the southern border to combat human and drug trafficking , among other crimes.

“We are applying the law of controlled, safe and containment migration. Because they are using children as passports for adult migrants to transit in our country to the United States ”, he concluded.

The region has experienced a powerful migratory wave towards the United States since the arrival of Joe Biden to the White House at the end of January and the US authorities arrested . 442 undocumented in February, compared to . 441 of the first month of the year.

For the first time and after a year of pandemic, Mexico announced last week land control for non-essential activities on its southern border , claiming that the spread of the coronavirus should be controlled.

This Monday, the Foreign Ministry of Mexico and the INM also announced the for Strengthening and improvement of immigration protocols at the Mexico City International Airport, after several problems recently reported by foreigners when passing through the immigration filters at the air terminal.

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