Thousands of migrants of various nationalities began a 2,000-kilometer journey through southern Mexico on Monday to reach the US border in hopes of escaping hardships in their home countries. The group, migrant activists told Reuters, could be one of the largest migrant caravans in the region in recent years.
The movement has been timed to coincide with the three-day Summit of America, which began on June 8 and is being held in Los Angeles. Migration is one of the major concerns discussed at the meeting.
According to Reuters, on Monday (June 6) at least 6,000 people began their 2,000-kilometer journey from the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, which is located near the Guatemala border. Most of the migrants are reportedly from Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.
On Thursday, AFP reported that at least 11,000 people had attended the caravan, and with more joining daily, the number is said to touch 15,000.
Why is the caravan happening?
Mass caravans of people from South and Central America have been taking place from time to time since 2018. Thousands enter Mexico from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, forced to leave their homes due to rising poverty, violence and socio-political turmoil. Hopes eventually reach the United States. For years, the authorities in Guatemala and Mexico have attempted to reduce the movement of these caravans, but have not been successful.
Unlike in the past, there is a significant proportion of Venezuelans in the ongoing caravans. One reason for this is a new policy introduced by Mexico in January that requires Venezuelans to have a visa to enter the country, as reported by AP News. Previously, Venezuelans could more easily enter Mexico as tourists and later make their way to the US border.
A report in The New York Times said that nearly six million Venezuelans have fled to neighboring countries in recent years.
How do these migrants reach Mexico?
Driven by a desire for a better life, the members of the caravan have already gone through a long and treacherous journey to reach Mexico.
People from South America had to cross the Darien Gap, one of the most dangerous routes in the world, connecting South and Central America, which includes 5,000 square kilometers of marshland, dense rainforest, steep mountains and venomous snakes. Migrants also face the risk of robbery, physical and sexual violence from traffickers and smugglers. According to a report in The Guardian, 13,000 illegal migrants entered Panama from Colombia through the Darien Gap in the first three months of 2022.
Why do they want to leave Mexico?
According to an Associated Press report, people have been complaining for months that Mexico’s migrant control policy keeps them far away from the US in the most southern parts of the country, and makes their lives extremely difficult. Many of them are still burdened with huge debt which was incurred for their stay and there are not much job prospects in Tapachula too.
In Mexico, migrants applying for humanitarian visas or asylum must remain in the southern state of Chiapas (where Tapachula is located) while cases are processed, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The migrants claim that the authorities have delayed granting them visas, leaving them stuck in Tapachula.
What does Caravan have to do with America’s summit?
This regional summit in Los Angeles seeks to address shared challenges such as migration, climate change and the economy.
Biden will meet with regional leaders on Friday to sign a declaration aimed at easing the migrant crisis in the US. During a speech at the event on Wednesday (June 8), Biden hinted at the announcement, calling it “a ground-breaking, unified new approach” with shared responsibility across the hemisphere.
The caravan’s organizers said they gave regional leaders time to coincide with the US summit to show the serious problems facing migrants.
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Luis García Villagran of the Center for Human Dignity, who helped organize the caravan, said he wanted to send a message that “diaspora women and children, migrant families are not bargaining for ideological and political interests”.
According to a draft document seen by Reuters on Thursday, the declaration will include pledges to restrict illegal migration and assist countries that receive large numbers of migrants.
Biden, who began his presidency in January 2021, has sought to do away with many of his predecessor Donald Trump’s harsh immigration policies.