The association "Haiti Bridge Alliance" and several migrant organizations working on the southern border of Mexico await the arrival of approximately 8,000 Haitians in Tapachula (states of Chiapas near the border with Guatemala) in the coming weeks. Haitians who then hope to obtain authorization to cross Mexico (humanitarian visa) to reach the American border...

"In addition to Haiti, these Haitian migrants come from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and French Guyana among others..." said Freddy Castillo, Coordinator of the association in the border area between Mexico and Guatemala, adding that the time of their arrival depends on their economic resources, their health and the difficulties encountered on the road.

Freddy Castillo deplores that once arrived at Tapachula, Haitians often have to wait months to obtain their travel documents, but when they obtain them and board a bus, they find an obstacle because the National Institute for Migration (INM) does not allow them to travel outside of Chiapas. "It is a total violation of people's rights, the INM issues them documents such as the card for humanitarian reasons, and that they can make multiple entries into the country, but they can only travel to the Chiapas."

"For the moment, there is no exact figure on the number of Haitian migrants stranded in Tapachula" indicates Castillo, recalling that last year "some 85,000 Haitian nationals were registered..."

Freddy Castillo explains that in Tapachula, Haitians face the language barrier and the danger of organized crime "many criminals see in Haitian migrants a source of income [...] It is no secret that the organized crime has kidnapped, tortured and killed in different states such as Tijuana, Reynosa and even here in Chiapas, where there have been several cases of assassinations of Haitian nationals who had a family (wife and children) Haitian women are not spared Haiti Bridge Alliance reports 13 Haitian women murdered...

Not to mention the conflicts between migrants from different countries where the National Guard which often turns to confrontation...

SL/ HaitiLibre