- Title: African migrants gather in Mexico for new caravan aiming to reach U.S.
- Date: 13th October 2019
- Summary: TAPACHULA, CHIAPAS (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS TAKING OFF AT DAWN IN MIGRANT CARAVAN GROUP MIGRANTS WALKING ALONGSIDE VEHICLES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAITIAN MIGRANTS, ALBALIN BIWA, SAYING: "I'm not afraid. I need to go on. I don't know what's ahead of me but I'm not scared. (Reporter: What's your dream?) To get to the United States or Canada. (Reporter: To work?) To work, to help my family, help my country." MIGRANTS IN CARAVAN WALKING TOGETHER WITH ARMS LINKED VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING ON ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ANONYMOUS MIGRANT FROM NICARAGUA, SAYING: "This (migrant caravan) is the only way forward. Without (a visa) card you can't head out (from southern Mexico). (Reporter: Where are you from?) From Nicaragua. (Reporter: And where do you want to head?) Monterrey (northern Mexican city), life there is better." HUEHUETAN, CHIAPAS, MEXICO (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) SOLDIERS ON ROAD ARRIVING TO STOP ADVANCE OF MIGRANT CARAVAN SOLDIERS WALKING ALONGSIDE VEHICLES SOLDIERS BLOCKING ADVANCE OF CARAVAN SOLDIERS WITH IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS LOOKING FOR MIGRANTS VARIOUS OF IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS ESCORTING MIGRANTS VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS WITH MIGRANTS MIGRANTS BY VEHICLE FROM IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL
- Embargoed: 27th October 2019 01:32
- Keywords: migrant caravan African migrants Mexico Chiapas United States
- Location: TAPACHULA, CHIAPAS + HUEHUETAN, CHIAPAS, MEXICO
- City: TAPACHULA, CHIAPAS + HUEHUETAN, CHIAPAS, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0SL07B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A migrant caravan made up of mainly African migrants took off at dawn in southern Mexico on Saturday (October 12) hoping to head north towards the United States.
The migrants had departed before sunrise from Tapachula in the southern state of Chiapas near Guatemala despite an ongoing crackdown on migration on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The group, including people pushing children in strollers, proceeded on foot about 30 km (19 miles) before being apprehended on the road in Huehuetan in the afternoon.
Mexico's military police on Saturday halted and turned back a caravan of up to 2,000 migrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Central America, hours after they embarked toward the United States, according to Reuters witnesses.
Around 500 members of Mexico's National Guard military police in helmets and tactical vests blocked the highway on both sides, according to a Reuters witness, and some pursued migrants who fled into neighbouring fields.
Officials from Mexico's national immigration institute detained most of the group, putting them on buses back to Tapachula. About 150 migrants decided to return on foot.
The scene was reminiscent of a string of caravans that left Central America a year ago, at one point ballooning into a group of 7,000 people in southern Mexico.
That en masse migration drew extensive media attention and triggered a crisis with U.S. President Donald Trump, who called the caravans an "invasion" and demanded Mexico do more to halt their progress.
The Mexican government in June struck a deal with the United States vowing to significantly curb U.S.-bound migration in exchange for averting U.S. tariffs on Mexican exports.
Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border fell in September for the fourth month in a row, after record high crossings this spring, and the Trump administration credited cooperation from Mexico and Central American countries for the sustained drop.
(Production: Jose Cortes, Jose Torres, Rodolfo Pena Roja) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
