A group of about 500 migrants traveled through southern Mexico on Wednesday, March 25th, protesting long waits for paperwork and requesting authorization to move to areas with greater employment prospects.
The group left Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, Tuesday night to highlight their situation and gain permission to find work elsewhere while their immigration status is processed.
Tapachula has long served as a hub for transient populations.
In recent months, it has seen an influx of third-country nationals, particularly Cubans deported by the Trump administration, although the Mexican government has yet to release official figures regarding these arrivals.
“It’s hard to find work and the pay is very low. We have to pay rent, buy food, and it’s not enough,” said Martha Pérez Munguía, a 40-year-old migrant from Nicaragua.
Migrants said they have repeatedly reported to authorities to regularize their status but have received no definitive response.
“We are worn out,” complained Antonio Marín, a 56-year-old migrant from El Salvador, adding that all they want is to be able to work with decent wages.
While foot marches are common in the region, they no longer target the United States.
Over the past year, groups of a few hundred migrants have typically dispersed within days without traveling beyond southern Mexico.
The group marched under the observation of the National Guard, the National Migration Institute, and local police, none of whom attempted to stop them.
On the day the march began, the Mexican government announced a new agreement to boost labor inclusion for people in transit across southern states such as Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco and Quintana Roo.
The Southern Border Monitoring Collective, a coalition of civil society groups, warned this week that people in transit are paying up to 40,000 Mexican pesos (about $2,300) for documentation that is legally free.
The collective also denounced the increased militarization of Mexico’s southern border and the Northern Triangle, stating that heightened security measures have intensified the risks and abuses faced by migrants.
On Monday, Mexican authorities discovered 229 migrants trapped inside a truck in Veracruz.
The vehicle had been towed to a police impound lot following a stolen-vehicle report, but officers only realized people were inside when the migrants began shouting for help.
Source: AP
