The new US policy to immediately expel Venezuelans arriving by landwith the consent of the Mexican government, is worrying migrants and activists on Mexico’s northern border, where shelters are already overcrowded.
Venezuelans and directors of shelters in Ciudad Juárez and Matamoros told EFE his uncertainty about what will happen after the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday the deportation of Venezuelans who arrive at the border under Title 42.
“The first thing to think about is whether they know the reality of the border. The shelters are not alone, these agreements are between the United States and Mexico when there is a migration crisis,” he told EFE the father Javier Calvillodirector of the Juarez Migrant House, on the border with El Paso, Texas.
The priest stated that he is the question of who will support the undocumented immigrants who return to Juárez with the expenseswhere he expects the three levels of government to help with this problem.
“It seems that they are not interested in migrants. The question is what will happen to all Venezuelans. It was an agreement between the governments, hopefully there will be an action from them,” he remarked.
A GROWING FLOW
The measure is taken after migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela represented more than 55,000 of the undocumented immigrants found on the US-Mexico border in August, a annual increase of 175%.
In the face of the crisis in Venezuela, Washington will grant 24,000 permits to citizens of that country who arrive by air and have a sponsor in the United Statesa program similar to the one offered for Ukraine.
But that excludes Venezuelans in Mexico, as Henry Esurricowho failed to fulfill his “American dream” for this new measure: “I am disappointed, with no one here, without having a place to sleep. I would like them to take me to Venezuela,” he said from Ciudad Juárez.
The Office of Customs and Border Protection of the United States (CBP, in English) reported up to an average of 1,962 daily meetings in the last week.
Based on these data, deportations can put Ciudad Juárez in check, where shelters are at 80% occupancyaccording to the local office of the International Organization for Migration.
Henry recounted that he came with five friends, who were also deported and have not yet found shelter.
They have even walked until dawn looking for a roof over their heads and have gone days without cleaning up, due to this problem.
THEY MEET FOR EMERGENCY
in Matamoros, activists from various organizations, Mexican and American, held an emergency meeting to coordinate actions that allow them to face the migration crisis that has caused the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans since last Thursday.
The meeting addressed the capacity of the shelters to accommodate those who wish to stay in northern Matamoros, Tamaulipas, since transportation has also been provided to Mexico City, the country’s capital, so that they can continue with their procedures before the North American Government.
“For this Venezuelan population that is being deported, it is estimated that there will be at least 140 per day. They don’t want to leave (from Matamoros) because they were separated,” he told EFE the coordinator of the association “Ayudandoles a Triunfar”, Paula Juarez.
The assistance groups have promised to provide solutions to the basic needs of the returnees through the New Bridge, which connects the regions of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, with Brownsville, Texas, as well as channeling them to a shelter to prevent them from settling in the area and a camp originates as it happened years ago.
DONATIONS ARE SHORT
“Helping Them Succeed”located in the area of the international crossing, has become in recent days a point where people converge after being released by the US authorities and although some services are provided, there is a shortage of men’s clothing and food.
“Meeting those basic needs of clothing, footwearmany of them had them in immigration detention from 9 to 15 days without being able to bathe,” said Juárez.
WOMEN IN SHOCK
The US government returned Venezuelans waiting in national territory, which has caused them fear, finding themselves in a region they do not know and distanced from their compatriots.
“I was very scared, they put us in four checkpoints and we knew what to do. They told us that they were going to release us until they crossed us here,” said the Venezuelan Gloria Sanchez.
The deportees boarded the vans of the National Institute of Migration (INM) to be taken to the Casa del Migrante “San Juan Diego” where they would be given the necessary assistance to reassure them.
NOT ASSIMILATE
Venezuelans still do not understand how The decree enters into force this Monday, October 17 and they were expelled before without previous explanation and under violations of their human rights, as they denounced.
“We do not understand how where they told us that the torch of freedom was, it was the torch of hell for all, they unfairly returned us“, plot Tarrael Jose Machado.
Mistrust has spread among those who have been returned to Mexico, although some decided to get off the buses that the Mexican government arranged to take them to the country’s capital.
A part of the migrants plans to stay in the north of Tamaulipas waiting for an announcement that will give them back the hope of accessing the United States.
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