Most — nearly 380,000 — fled Venezuela, a country plagued by a deep economic crisis.
Some 1.39 million illegal immigrants from a total of 177 countries passed through Mexico between January and May in their attempt to reach the US, the national immigration institute (INM) said on Sunday.
The vast majority of them were adults, traveling alone.
However, almost 3,000 were unaccompanied minors, the institute clarified in the press release it published.
They were nationals of 177 countries, in other words they left from almost every country in the world — the UN counts 193 member states.
Most — nearly 380,000 — fled Venezuela, a country plagued by a deep economic crisis. This was followed by the nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Haiti; all four countries are plagued by gang violence mainly engaged in drug trafficking.
Among the people who tried, despite the dangers, to cross Mexico in the hope of finding a better life in the US were nationals of countries as far away as China, Mauritania, India or Angola, according to the INM.
In 2023, more than 2.4 million people illegally crossed the Mexican border into the US, according to official US statistics.
This flow broke records, surpassing 10,000 daily, in December. It has since declined as the governments of both countries announced restrictive measures.
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order easing deportations to Mexico and restricting or suspending asylum when high numbers of arrivals are recorded.
Source :Skai
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