Migrant shelters in Arizona (United States) face new challenges in assisting an increasing number of asylum seekers from Africa, Europe and Asia due to global events, something that has never been seen before.
”Migrants continue to arrive, but without a doubt immigration has changed. A few years ago what we saw the most were entire families, coming mainly from Central American countries. Now we have migrants from many countries, including Russia, China and India.”, the pastor told EFE angel fieldsfrom Monte Vista Church in Phoenix.
Campos indicated that his church has witnessed this change. Before, it received more people from Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, but in the last two months it has seen an increase in the arrival of migrants from India, Pakistan and China, among other countries, mainly men traveling alone.
One of the main challenges is the language barrier, since the volunteers who attend the church only speak English and Spanish.
EFE witnessed these difficulties when, during a visit to the church facilities, a truck arrived with approximately 50 men, the vast majority from India and China.
The volunteers immediately took out their cell phones and, through automatic translation applications, tried to communicate with the migrants, who tried to make themselves understood through signs.
Another challenge is related to food, since many of the migrants are vegetarians or have special dietary requirements.
Therefore, the shelter tries to adapt by providing food according to the religion and culture of the new arrivals.
The vast majority of those who arrive at the Monte Vista Church have entered the United States through the Yuma Sector of the Border Patrol, a region that from October to December of last year registered 80,486 migrant detentions.
Once they cross the border and voluntarily turn themselves in to Border Patrol for processing, they are transported to shelters in cities like Tucson and Phoenix.
Others are trucked to other states under a program implemented in May of last year by the then Republican governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey.
Despite having criticized the program during her campaign, the new Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, decided to maintain it, calling it “efficient and humane.”
It is estimated that some 3,000 migrants have been transported from the Yuma border to the nation’s capital at a cost of seven million dollars to the state of Arizona.
changing migration
Migration at the United States border has undergone various changes in recent decades.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the largest flow was made up of Mexicans, mostly men who crossed the border irregularly to look for work. Some came only seasonally and then returned to their country.
However, given the strengthening of security at the border and the consequent difficulties in crossing it, many chose to stay in the United States and bring their families. In 2015, there began an increase in the crossings of families and migrants from Central American countries, and from unaccompanied minors.
”In 2018 we had many Central American families. In 2019 we began to see people from Venezuela, Brazil, Cubans. In 2020 migration stopped, and in recent months we are seeing more people from Africa, Asia and Europe”said Pastor Campos.
Anna O’Leary, director of the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson, told EFE that the change in the migratory flow responds to political and socioeconomic events worldwide.
In your opinion, Social and political movements in Latin American countries like Venezuela, Peru and Brazil are causing more people to emigrate from them.
An example is the Peruvian “Carmen”, one of the few Latin American migrants who are in the shelter of the Monte Vista Church..
”The situation in my country is very difficult. The political climate is very unstable and is putting us all in danger”, said the migrant, who asked not to use her real name.
The young woman claims to have been targeted by gangs that demanded large amounts of money so that she could continue operating her small clothing store in her neighborhood.
The Administration of President Joe Biden announced last January a new plan that allows migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela to request an appointment through an application to appear at ports of entry.
Migrants from those countries who try to cross the border irregularly will be deported immediately. However, this plan does not include people from European, African and Asian countries, so Campos does not rule out that the flow of these migrants continues in increase.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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