GUATEMALA CITY, KOMPAS.com – The Guatemalan Immigration Agency reported the illegal entry of thousands of Honduran migrants to its border since Friday (15/1/2021).
The migrants, estimated to number more than 8,000, are said to be planning to head to the United States (US), Guatemala Immigration Agency spokesman Alejandra Mena told CNN on Saturday (16/1/2021).
They intend to join forces with other migrant groups in the US to escape poverty and violence in Honduras.
The Latin American country experienced two devastating storms late last year. The disaster exacerbated the economic pressure caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Guatemalan Foreign Ministry in a statement on Saturday (16/1/2021), urged the Honduran authorities to do more to withstand the massive departure of its people.
Honduras did not respond directly to Guatemala’s request. But through posts on social media, the National Migration Institute of Honduras said it had strengthened the three points of the border between the two countries and immigration inspectors.
A video taken by CNN on Saturday shows a large group of people passing through the ranks of Guatemalan soldiers. They are trying to gain access to the highway leading to Mexico.
Authorities estimate nearly 3,500 people made it through.
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Last October, the first large caravan of migrants bound for the US since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic left San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The number who crossed through Guatemala at that time was estimated at 1,500 to 2,800.
Crossings on the US-Mexico border were briefly complied during the 2020 lockdown. Arrests for illegal migration in April hit a multi-year low, with around 17,100 numbers.
Since then, arrests have continued to increase. US Customs and Border Protection statistics record about 70,000 people migrating each month in October, November and December.
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