Central American Refugees Stuck in a Revolving Inferno in Southern Mexico Christopher Galeano - New America Media
go to original December 15, 2015

Media and Refugees: What Is Covered, Who Is Forgotten (teleSUR)

With the exception of a few recent articles, Central American refugees have been out of the headlines for almost a year. Yet, people are still desperately fleeing for their lives and facing more human rights abuses as they do so.

The Obama administration responded to the increased number of Central Americans escaping violence to the US last year with more detention centers and attempts to expedite their deportations. Simultaneously, the US pressured Mexico to better secure its southern border with Guatemala. In July 2014, Mexico implemented Plan Frontera Sur (the Southern Border Program, PFS), saying it wanted to make “migration more orderly to make it more secure.”

The US reacted by increasing PFS-funding and training to Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM), responsible for enforcing immigration laws, to work more closely with local, state and federal police and military.

The result? INM-led operativos - checkpoints and raids - throughout Mexico more than doubled from January to July 2015 compared to the same period last year. The patrols especially target refugees on top of La Bestia. Here, INM agents regularly use stun guns and physical and verbal abuse. In cities like Arriaga, Chiapas that once saw hundreds of migrants daily, the effect has been no one on top of the train. Migrants instead walk more dangerous, clandestine routes to get to the next city – further increasing opportunities for local crime groups to target them.

Thus, refugees fear turning to authorities, and are more than ever prey to criminals sometimes working with authorities.

Read the rest at New America Media

Central American Migrants Living in Limbo in Mexico (CCTV America)

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