The immigration policies of a nation speak a lot about its government. They are the indicators of a government’s focus areas. The debate on whether or not a country should have a lenient immigration policy is a never-ending one. However, the debate on whether or not protection should be provided to those who seek it is a fairly conclusive one. Or so it seemed.
Every year, since 2010, Pueblo Sin Fronteras (loosely translated to People Without Borders-not to be confused with the non-profit organisation based in Washington DC) organises a ‘caravan’ for the people of Central America. This caravan became a means for the Central Americans to flee their respective countries and migrate across Mexico towards the US border. The purpose of this initiative was to make sure that those who wanted to leave their country, could do so without the fear of being harmed along the way. These migrants start their journey at the Mexico-Guatemala border every year and continue until they reach the Mexico-United States border. Some decide to seek asylum in Mexico itself whereas others continue this long and perilous journey and hope to get refuge in the US.
Pueblo Sin Fronteras has successfully carried out dozens of caravans. And even though this year’s caravan is not the biggest group to have made the trek, it is certainly one which has left a mark. The caravan, which started its journey on 25th March 2018, was covered in a report by Fox & Friends, a morning news show which described this group as:
“a small migrant army marching towards the United States.”
President Trump, shortly after this broadcast, voiced his opinion about the same on Twitter and it was not in the favour of the migrants. Since the broadcast, President Trump has gone on to say that the US authorities are tracking the movement of the caravan. His tweet on the 23rd of April, 2018 said:
“Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one-sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country. It is a disgrace. We are the only Country in the World so naive! WALL”
The other members of the Trump administration also seem to be of a similar opinion. Vice President Mike Pence, for instance, during his visit to the California border said, amongst many things, that a group like this is the reason that immigration reforms need to be adopted.
The group began its journey in the city of Tapachula, Chiapas in Mexico which lies at the Mexico-Guatemala border. They started out with around a 1000 people, mainly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Approximately 80% of the people were from Honduras. One of the reasons for this is the increase in violence in the country after the November elections when the opposition alleged fraud against the current president of the country, Mr Juan Orlando Hernandez. This led to multiple protests and 17 people died when the police tried to crack down on the protestors. The other reasons for the asylum seekers to come to the US via the caravan include:
- Violence in Central America: Despite having a falling homicide rate, Honduras and El Salvador are still two of the most violent countries in the world.
- Maras: Maras or street gangs also pose a significant threat to the civilians in Central America.
- Safety in numbers: It is common to witness gangs preying on those who migrate north. Hence, the people believe that the journey would be safer if made in a large group.
The group travelled 3,200 km by bus, train and on foot and ended its journey on the 29th of April, 2018 in Tijuana, Mexico.
Out of the group of 1000+ migrants, only 200 (approx.) made it to San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing. Some sought refuge in Mexico, some were deported by the Mexican government and the rest hoped that the United States, in one way or another, would be the place where they found solace. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. At the crossing, only 8 people were allowed on the United States’. The 11 migrants who tried to enter the States illegally were detained and will face criminal charges, according to the United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Around 150 others still, wait at the border and are told that the crossing is full. The human rights activists and attorneys accompanying the migrants throughout their journey are both equally perplexed by this situation. One of the Human Rights attorneys, Nicole Ramos said to the Associated Press:
“We can build a base in Iraq in under a week. We can’t process 200 refugees. I don’t believe it.”
Prospects look bleak for those waiting on the Mexican side of the US-Mexican border. With President Trump saying that he wants to order the Department of Homeland Security to “stop the caravan” and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen encouraging the migrants to seek asylum in the first country the entered and not to come to the US border, it seems unlikely that these people will be processed as quickly as they need to be.
This caravan has received more traction than most due to the President Trump’s outrage. As Trump continues to use this, the caravan which saved people from a crime-infested Central America, as an excuse to build a border wall, the people waiting patiently on the other side of the border act as symbols and are helping in raising awareness all over the world about the plight of the immigrant
By Vidisha Wani
(Head of Public Relations, The Economic Transcript)
Image Source: ABC News
