Father César Augusto Cañaveral, head of migrant ministry for the Diocese of Tapachula, explained that there are large migrant camps of people from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, and El Salvador throughout the city's outskirts and in the neighborhoods of Tapachula, in the State of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala. He added that Mexicans must learn to coexist with these foreigners. "We are like a border church; we must work hard to integrate them and build good relationships with them," he said.

Cañaveral explained that these areas already host migrants from Central America, "but the number of groups and individuals stranded and living in parishes has increased considerably... perhaps they are waiting for the United States to open its borders a little, and that is what worries us because they are the most vulnerable."

Furthermore, the priest denounced the Mexican government for its inability to manage a migratory phenomenon that, although declining, remains a major challenge. According to the latest census in 2020, Tapachula's population is estimated at 350,000, and the city is a focal point for asylum applications in Mexico.

Following the severe anti-immigration measures imposed by US President Donald Trump upon his return to power, hundreds of migrants are attempting to obtain asylum documents in the city of Tapachula. This has led to a 20% increase in their stay in Mexico.

From January to September 2025, according to data from the Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees (COMAR) for September, more than 52,000 asylum applications were registered in the country, of which approximately 34,000 (66%) originated from Chiapas.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Haitian, Cuban, and Honduran migrants are the main nationalities present, although Tapachula also hosts people from many other countries.

For his part, Teodoro Vázquez Castillo, Secretary General of the Revolutionary Workers' Federation of Chiapas, acknowledged that the municipality of Tapachula is home to hundreds of migrants who have been there for months, even though some are already working in formal businesses. "[...] this is a phenomenon that harms us because we are in the crisis zone; there are more of us working, we don't have businesses, and we have to live hand to mouth," he said, adding that he didn't know "who made them believe that Tapachula was an ideal place to work, and they came and overwhelmed the city [...]"

S/ HaitiLibre