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Honduran migrant caravan arrives in Mexico amidst U.S. threats

The Mexican government has committed to protect the 3,000 Honduran migrants on their way to the U.S.

SRE and SEGOB stated that migration policies respond to the government’s commitment to prevent migrants from “falling victim to human trafficking networks and human rights violations” - Photo: Jorge Alberto Mendoza/EL UNIVERSAL
18/10/2018 |15:26Newsroom |
Redacción El Universal
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The government of Mexico

has warned the Honduran caravan that, should they enter the national territory “through illegal means,” migrants will be subject to arrest and deportation . In the meantime, more than 200 elements of Federal Police were deployed in Tapachula, Chiapas yesterday to guard the border with Guatemala .

For his part, President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised that his government will give out work visas to Central American migrants.

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In a joint statement, the ministries of Interior (SEGOB) and Foreign Affairs (SRE) claimed that, in compliance with the present legislation, “every individual that enters the country through illegal means will be arrested and subject to administrative proceedings and, if necessary, will be deported to their country of origin.”

Last Saturday, more than 3 thousand Honduran migrants began their exodus towards the north of the continent.

A first group arrived in the Migrants House of the San Marcos diocese in Tecún Umán, Guatemala , near the border with Mexico. Their plan is to cross the Mexican territory all the way to the U.S. border , where they plan to seek asylum . The group consists of men, women, and entire families with small children ; the main group advances slowly by foot, while other groups have taken the lead riding on buses.

Mexico’s public institutions have indicated that whoever intends to enter the Mexican territory needs to “have proper documentation and a visa granted by the government.” They added that whoever wishes to apply for refugee status or gain benefits with complementary protection measures should do so individually.

SRE and SEGOB stated that migration policies respond to the government’s commitment to prevent migrants from “falling victim to human trafficking networks and human rights violations.”

Meanwhile, more than 200 elements from the Federal Police carrying riot control equipment arrived yesterday in Tapachula, Chiapas, to lend their support to the National Institute of Migration (INM) in face of the imminent arrival of Honduran migrants.

In accordance with the law, SRE and SEGOB have stated that migrants will have up to 45 working days (with the possibility of renewal), to formalize their applications . During said period, they will remain in a facility under the management of INM.

AMLO to grant work visas

President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador has made a commitment to grant work visas to Central American migrants looking for employment in Mexico once he takes office. After a meeting with the governor of Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca , the President-elect claimed that the measure is meant to stem illegal migration.

“As of December 1 , we will give employment to central-Americans by granting work visas. We will tackle the problem of illegal migration by giving options and alternatives to migrants, and not just deportations.

Honduran migrant caravan arrives in Mexico amidst U.S. threats

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