African migrants in Mexico brave odds to reach the States

A migrant caravan made of mainly African migrants took off in Southern Mexico Saturday, hoping to reach the United States.

The group including children, proceeded on foot about 30 km from the southern state of Chiapas near Gautemala before being apprehended.

“I’m not afraid. I need to go on. I don’t know what’s ahead of me but I’m not scared. (Reporter: What’s your dream?) To get to the United States or Canada. (Reporter: To work?) To work, to help my family, help my country”, Albalin Biwa, a Haitian migrant said.

According to Reuters witnesses, Mexico’s military police stopped and turned back a caravan of about 2,000 migrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Central America on Saturday, hours after journeying towards the U.S.

The scene Reuters said was reminiscent of a mass migration which drew wide media attention, triggering a crisis in 2018.

Meanwhile, two migrants drowned off the coast of Mexico on Friday after the small boat they were travelling on sank.

Officials say, all migrants on board were from Cameroon but did not confirm the number on board. They had reportedly sought to reach Mexico for onland passage to the States.

Survivors were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Reuters