More than 2,000 Haitians have arrived in Tapachula, in the far southeast of the State of Chiapas in Mexico, a border town with Guatemala, after illegally crossing the border in their attempt to reach the United States.

In the streets of Tapachula several hundred Haitian families are looking for an immigration procedure that allows them to stay legally in our country. Others throng in long lines for treatment, breaking health protocol against the spread of Covid-19, by not respecting healthy distancing, the use of masks and antibacterial gel.

Most seek temporary refuge with the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees (COMAR) fleeing Haiti due to violence and poverty.

This significant flow of migrants forced the COMAR authorities to temporarily suspend the procedures due to the disorder and announced a new process for the crowds.

"We are launching a new mechanism to help people for the good purpose of avoiding crowds. Now people can request their appointment electronically to avoid having to move around, sleep in the streets and be hungry..." said Alma Cruz, delegate of the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance in Tapachula, Chiapas. A decision that was welcomed by some of the migrants...

Recall that according to the Mexican immigration authorities, since the beginning of the year, more than 35,600 migrants have entered Mexico illegally in search of procedures for a legal stay. 72% of them received care in Chiapas and about 9,000 were of Haitian origin.

See also

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33586-haiti-flash-nearly-a-thousand-haitians-escape-military-controls-and-enter-mexico.html

S/ HaitiLibre