Migrant caravan says goodbye to the year with the hope of regularizing themselves in Mexico in 2024

The thousands of migrants that make up the caravan of the exodus from poverty that is in Chiapas, south of Mexicothey will say goodbye to the year in the midst of sadness and with mixed feelings at being outside their country, but with new purposes and the hope of obtaining a legal document in Mexican territory.

The migrants of at least nine nationalities are under trees, improvised roofs, a dome and the majority set up an improvised camp in the Santa Cruz sports complex, in the municipality of Mapastepec, where they have made outdoor kitchens to prepare their meals and dinner. end of the year.

Guillermo Bofil, a migrant who makes up a group of a dozen Cubans, said that they bought ingredients to prepare “congri chicken”, which will be a special dinner when they are away from home, since they have traveled here to fulfill their wishes of reaching their destination, which is Mexico City.

One of their goals is to continue fighting to reach the United States, although with great difficulty, but they maintain their desire to continue advancing with Mexican documents, so that their journey does not become difficult.

“The best gift they can give us right now are documents, those to support us and fight with a little job until we can advance to the USA“We are satisfied with that,” express.

They are waiting for documents

Also in this camp is Gladys Marisela Amador García, who thanked the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for letting them stay and hope that they can be given permission to be legally in the country.

“My purpose is to go to Monterrey to be able to work and give it my all, to be able to give the best to my children, what I can tell everyone (is) to give it a try, everyone who perseveres achieves it, it was worth it, honestly, “We walk too much,” said.

Likewise, there is Andrés López, an Ecuadorian migrant, who set up an outdoor hair salon to have money to buy food for this year’s end and for the following days.

“The truth is, I’m having a hard time working to make ends meet for lunch, a snack or breakfast, because there is no money, because we are from a far away place and a lot has been spent, I have spent about US$1,500 from my country”he claimed.

Another of the migrants who crosses Mexico on foot is Fernando, originally from Brazil, who continues on this long journey along with a large group of Central American, Haitian and Venezuelan migrants.

“The family is in Sao Paulo, Brazil, we communicate by phone, it is a difficult, dangerous route walking, everything is paid for, it is like a business walking for the American dream”, he stressed.

This migrant has been detained and deported to Tapachula, but his desire to reach Baja California motivates him to continue walking this December 31, so he will speak with his family in San Paolo, Brazil to wish them a good year.

Luis Rey García Villagrán, from the Center for Human Dignification (CDH), who accompanies this exodus from poverty, announced this Sunday to the thousands of migrants that the Government of Mexico will grant them a regular stay starting next Tuesday.

“There is a positive response from the National Migration Institute (INM) to resolve the 3,856 who are registered with us, a document that will pass through a filter in which they will be given a card for humanitarian reasons for a year valid throughout the national territory with a work option.”

The caravan of thousands of migrants, which left Mexico’s southern border as the largest of the year, advances when historic numbers of people seeking to enter the United States have been recorded at the border with Mexico, where the Office of Customs and Protection The US Border Agency (CBP) confirmed this week the arrival of more than 2.2 million migrants from January to November.