Migrants in need: return instead of hope at the US border!

Migrants in need: return instead of hope at the US border!

The immigration crisis in Central America is escalating in the face of US President Donald Trump's new, strict guidelines. Scores of migrants from Venezuela are desperately trying to find their way back home after attempting to illegally cross the border between Costa Rica and Panama on Tuesday. The border authority Senafront reported a group of around 200 migrants who were stopped by the police due to a crowd and initially sent back to Costa Rica. Panama's move aims to make the return of migrants orderly and safe, the security ministry said, while strengthening coordination with Costa Rica.

Strict measures at the US border

Trump is pursuing a rigorous course against migrants who enter the USA illegally or who stay there without valid residence status. Several government departments have been directed to support this goal, which has resulted in the deployment of additional U.S. troops to the border with Mexico. Deported migrants will be returned directly to their home countries, prompting sharp criticism from civil rights and human rights activists who brand the new guidelines as inhumane. In the meantime, the number of refugees is growing in Tijuana, where many migrants live in overcrowded camps and hope for a solution to their claims to stay.

The situation is tense in Tijuana as thousands of migrants on their way to the United States gather in the city. The Benito Juarez detention center is overcrowded and new allocations to other camps are necessary to accommodate the increasing number of arrivals. Trump made it clear that no migrant could cross the border until their right to remain was legally clarified and threatened to close the southern border if this was deemed necessary. The dramatic situation is further burdened by the efforts of groups such as Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which are under pressure because they met and accompanied migrants on their journey from Honduras.

While Mexico and the USA continue to look for a solution to the crisis situation, the future is uncertain for many migrants. Media reports about possible agreements have been dismissed by Mexican officials as premature, which only increases the difficulties and uncertainties for the people affected.

oe24.at reports that… Also reported kath.ch about the critical situation of migrants in Tijuana.