Mexico: More than 1,260 immigrants have been arrested in the last 24 hours

A total of 1,266 immigrants of 33 nationalities were arrested during various operations within 24 hours in Mexico, the National Immigration Institute (INM) announced on Thursday.

The migrants were “illegally” on the move in “22 states” of the country, the authorities clarified.

They were 741 men, 322 women and 203 minors, mostly from Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba and El Salvador. However, they also included nationals of countries such as Afghanistan, Armenia, Canada, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Somalia, China, Turkey, Russia and Italy.

About two million people were arrested on the southern US border with Mexico last year, according to official figures.

More than 190,000 undocumented migrants were identified in Mexico between January and September 2021, three times as many as in 2020, according to official figures. Some 74,300 people were deported.

Mexican authorities have stepped up controls to stem the flow of immigrants, which have escalated since the election of Democratic President Joe Biden.

Many immigrants, mostly from Central American countries, try to reach the United States via Mexico to seek asylum and escape gang violence and homelessness.

In the process, they often become victims of organized crime or the Mexican authorities.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently urged Mexican authorities to consider creating new aid programs amid rising arrivals, especially from Venezuelans, whom Mexico is now seeking visas to allow. .

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ