The United Nations is asking Mexico to stop deporting fake refugees and thus allow the caravans to proceed to the US border. This Article is by Univision. The original article in Spanish is at this link. The Google translation with minor corrections follows. See videos of the soldiers intercepting the caravan at the bottom.
UN asks Mexico not to deport Central American migrants who can be persecuted in their home countries
This week marked by the confusion, the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador promised jobs for some 4,000 migrants but then began deporting Hondurans trying to reach Mexico or cross the country to reach US soil.
The United Nations asked Mexico on Friday not to deport those Central American migrants who may be persecuted in their countries or close the doors to an asylum process, while expressing concern about the impact that the operation may have had on children, deployed the day before by the National Guard to stop the passage of the caravan.
A robust contingent of security agents from the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador once again resorted to the use of tear gas on Thursday to curb the journey of some 800 migrants who managed to cross into Mexican territory along the river Suchiate, which separates western Guatemala from southern Mexico.
National Guard troops had already done so previously in the week, which generated confusion because initially AMLO had promised jobs for some 4,000 migrants, but his government deported just days later the first group of Hondurans from the migrant caravan that sought to cross into Mexico.
After that, the Human Rights and Refugee offices jointly asked the Mexican government to ‘preserve the unity of families and ensure the non-return of those who face risks of persecution and access to the asylum procedure. The agencies reiterate their commitment of supporting the government of Mexico in those goals’.
They also expressed ‘concern about the impact that the immigration control operation of yesterday (Thursday) had on children and vulnerable people. Mexico has the right to control the entry of foreigners provided there is no excessive use of force.’
Mexico, according to Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, has deported or plans to send back about 1,100 Hondurans who, according to him, decided to do so by their own decision. Others have requested shelter or requested temporary employment permits, he added.
The situation of this caravan of migrants foretold that it would be tense last weekend, when according to the AP agency there were about 2,000 migrants in the city of Tecún Umán, on the Guatemalan side, and a large contingent of agents of the National Guard in Ciudad Hidalgo, on the Mexican side.
Mexico has sought to prevent the passage of these migrants through its territory amid pressure from the government of President Donald Trump to reduce the flow of migration on its border. In this context, some migrants have debated between crossing illegally as soon as possible, waiting for more to arrive or crossing the river in smaller groups.
Dramatic footage of Mexican military halting fake refugee caravan bound for the American border after they crossed into Mexico near Tapachula, Chiapas.
Another view of the same event.
Elements of the National Guard surrounded migrants who were met at a point on the road between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula, in Chiapas.
Elementos de la Guardia Nacional cercaron a migrantes que se encontraban en un punto de la carretera entre Ciudad Hidalgo y Tapachula, en Chiapas. pic.twitter.com/GXCS4yQqBs
— Alerta Oaxaca (@alerta_oaxaca) January 23, 2020
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