Migrants burst into southern Mexico asylum office demanding papers
A group of migrants, primarily from Haiti, forcefully entered an asylum office in southern Mexico on Monday, requesting documentation.
Throngs of migrants knocked over metal barricades and rushed into the office in the city of Tapachula, pushing past National Guard officers and police stationed at the office. Some of the migrants were trampled by their colleagues in the rush.
No injuries were reported as authorities managed to persuade many individuals to depart later on.
The tension comes as asylum claims in Mexico have skyrocketed, reaching over 100,000 so far this year.
Many migrants, including a significant number from Cuba and Honduras, express their frustration as they have been forced to endure lengthy waiting periods, sometimes lasting weeks, to secure an appointment at the office located in Tapachula, which is close to the Guatemala border.
At the workplace managed by the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance, individuals seeking refuge can submit requests for asylum in Mexico. Nevertheless, the majority of them have the intention of utilizing these documents to enhance their safety and facilitate their journey towards the U.S. border.
Miguel Argoten, a Cuban migrant, expressed that the situation is quite intricate due to the large number of people present. He mentioned that the Haitians become desperate, leading them to topple the barricades, which ultimately hampers the progress of the process.
Argoten mentioned that he had been in Tapachula for a week, waiting to initiate the process of applying for asylum. Lately, the office has been receiving approximately 2,000 daily requests for appointments.
Several Latin American countries along the migratory route are at risk of being overwhelmed as Mexico is expected to receive a record number of asylum applications this year due to the increasing flow of migrants.
Last week, Andrés Ramírez Silva, the director of Mexico’s refugee agency, stated that the amount of asylum requests his organization receives in the current year might reach 150,000, surpassing the previous record of 129,000 established in 2021.
“I cannot reword”
Last week, a group of migrants became disruptive while waiting and forcefully entered the offices of the agency. As a result, National Guard officers were called in to restore order, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful.
Ramírez Silva said Cubans, Haitians and Hondurans have made up about 80% of the asylum applications at the Tapachula office. He said his agency had asked the federal government for more resources to expand its capacity.
