The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said on Friday that he hopes that migratory flows will not increase starting next week, when will end a controversial US law applied during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus in its territory.
Washington announced that on May 11 it will stop applying the Title 42, a Trump-era policyin force since March 2020, which allows the authorities of that nation to immediately expel to Mexico and other nations migrants who enter the country irregularly or seek asylum.
“With the information that is being given, we think that the migratory flow will not increase, because an option is opening up, an alternative,” said López Obrador during his daily press conference.
In January, the United States said that migrants of various nationalities could apply for asylum in an orderly and safer way with an app, CBP ONE, which initially significantly reduced irregular crossings, but users say that the platform has flaws and very long waiting times.
US authorities have stated that the end of the health restriction does not mean that its southern border with Mexico is open; on the contrary, they have increased the sanctions against those who enter their territory irregularly.
On Tuesday, the US government also said it would temporarily send about 1,500 more troops to help secure its border with Mexico before a possible increase in immigration by lifting the law.
Despite the warnings, at the end of last month thousands of migrants began a new caravan from southern Mexico to the United States, many of them hopeful that when the rule ended, they would be able to immediately request asylum.
“Now yes, with the favor of God we are going to enter,” said Maycol Matta, a Venezuelan migrant who later Friday will go on a bus to the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and later to the border city of Piedras Negras to cross into the United States on the 11th. of May.
Authorities from several bordering cities have warned that they expect migrant flows to increase significantly with the end of Title 42, and that even thousands of people in shelters will try to cross into the United States.
“In Tijuana alone, we believe that there will be up to 13,000 migrants who are in shelters, hotels and private homes, who are going to try to cross,” said Enrique Lucero, director of migrant services in the border city of Tijuana.
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