Despite the immigration policies of the United States government, new migrants continue to arrive at the Ciudad Juárez border, a phenomenon that activists describe as “silent migration.”
This migration is becoming increasingly dangerous and costly for those seeking to cross the border into U.S. territory. According to shelter administrators in this city, people pay $11,000 — more than 180,000 pesos — for the promise of being taken across to El Paso, Texas, but the price then increases because they become victims of extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, and different forms of physical violence that can escalate to torture.
As of this week, there were 16 foreign nationals at the Casa del Migrante; however, the flow is constant, meaning that people arrive and leave rather than staying permanently as they did in the past.
“We call it silent migration. It is the most complicated because by coming alone, by not coming in groups and so on, they expose themselves to a greater degree, because in their desperation they can also approach certain places, certain areas, or certain groups whose intention will be to harm them,” said Francisco Javier Bueno, head of the Casa del Migrante in Juárez.
In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, he explained that the way assistance is provided at this shelter has completely changed. Until a few months ago, the shelter provided refuge to foreign migrants who had been deported from the United States, but now they assist migrants arriving in the city who have been victims of kidnapping and extortion.
He noted that although the number of arrivals remains low, the seriousness of the crimes they are victims of is what is concerning, which has forced them to seek help from experts in order to protect the migrant community.
“This means that the cases that reach us are very complex because, although they know they cannot enter the United States, they are being victims of many human rights violations,” said the person in charge of the Casa del Migrante.
He continued: “Although the flow has been lower, the people who are arriving now, most of whom are foreigners, are facing highly vulnerable situations. The people arriving here at Casa del Migrante are from Central America, especially over these last two or three months. From Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, and a couple from Cuba.”
Vulnerable
Javier Bueno explained that in many cases, the migrants themselves seek out polleros or coyotes from their countries of origin. These individuals promise to take them across to the United States, but upon arriving in Ciudad Juárez, the migrants are kidnapped or extorted, as are their families.
“Many of these people, from their place of origin, have already been approached in order to manage to cross into the United States. What they are looking for is to come, so to speak, somewhat safely, with the certainty that they will cross into the United States. However, from the moment they leave their place of origin, since they have already been contacted [by the coyotes], they have already been identified, and once they arrive here, in Juárez, their families begin to become victims of extortion. They are told that if they want to move forward or if they want their family member, then they begin demanding ransom, and that is when they themselves begin to become victims of this torture,” the activist explained.
According to the head of the Casa del Migrante, most of the migrants who have arrived in the city do so alone. In other words, they no longer travel in groups, by train, or in caravans, but instead take buses or arrive on foot. This makes them more exposed to becoming involved in dangerous situations.
“They have stated that they are asked for as much as $11,000 per person, but that is like the initial payment. We know of people who came to us and were asked for more money, and we are talking about approximately another $6,000 or $7,000,” he explained.
Assistance Modified
Due to the complexity of the cases involving foreign nationals, the Casa del Migrante had to modify its internal assistance procedures and even undergo training in order to guide them properly.
“Well, now we have also had to make an internal modification because, first, we need training on how to deal with people with dignity, how to treat them amid the situations they are encountering. We have also had to seek training in human rights because they arrive with situations involving torture, human trafficking, or even mutilations of their limbs.
“We have also been working more closely with government authorities because these are situations that sometimes exceed us in terms of the assistance we are able to provide,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Public Security Secretariat (SSPM) reported the rescue of two migrants who had been kidnapped in Juárez.
The incident occurred at a property in the México 68 neighborhood, where officers located two women leaving a residence through the windows. The officers helped them down, and the women then reported that they had been held against their will.
They were two women from Guatemala who had been held by at least five people, who demanded money from their relatives in exchange for not harming them.
Source: eluniversal
