A new caravan of migrants leaves Mexico towards the United States

US authorities report that 10,000 people have crossed the border with Mexico daily in recent weeks.

They participate in it “Out of poverty” Several thousand people wanting to reach the United States set out on Sunday, December 24, from the town of Tapachula in southern Mexico. according to BBCThis caravan actually extended over 15 kilometers and numbered approx “7,000 people, mostly from South and Central America“. Among them are families with children.

Between October 2022 and September 2023, more than 2.4 million migrants were intercepted at the Mexico-United States land border. A higher number compared to previous years and a dangerous route, especially when it comes to crossing the Rio Grande, the river that separates the two countries: on Thursday, two would-be migrants drowned at the border, near the town of Matamoros, while trying to cross a muddy area of ​​the river where the water is mixed with garbage. .

To discuss the immigration issue, US President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke by phone on Thursday.

Bilateral meeting on Wednesday

On Friday, the Mexican President confirmed that a bilateral meeting would be held on December 27 with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, National Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House National Security Advisor Liz Sherwood Randall.

Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged the increase in the number of migrants crossing Mexico towards the United States, coming from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Ecuador, and pledged to strengthen restraint measures for migrants in the south of the country, on the border with Guatemala. .

He added: “The agreement is that we continue to work together, and we already have a proposal to strengthen our plans.” The Mexican president told the press. As for the United States, the immigration crisis embarrasses Joe Biden as the election year approaches for the American delegation “It will highlight the need for additional legal pathways and actions from partners across the region.” The US authorities announced on Friday.

Faced with the daily arrival of thousands of migrants from Mexico – 10,000 people crossing daily in recent weeks, according to border police – US authorities declare themselves overwhelmed. Crossing points were recently suspended in Texas, Arizona and California, with border police saying they needed to redeploy staff to focus on intercepting and registering migrants.