Explained: The migrant caravan – why are thousands in Mexico marching to the US border?

Early on Monday (June 6), at least 6,000 people, according to Reuters, began their 2,000-km journey from the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, which is located near the Guatemalan border. Most of the migrants are reportedly from Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.

On Thursday, AFP reported that at least 11,000 people had joined the caravan, and with more joining everyday, the numbers are said to touch 15,000.

Why is the caravan taking place?

Large scale caravans consisting of people from South and Central America have been taking place periodically since 2018. Forced to leave their homes due to rising poverty, violence and socio-political turmoil, thousands from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvadore enter Mexico, with the hopes of finally reaching the United States. Over the years, authorities in Guatemala and Mexico have attempted to curtail the movement of these caravans, but have not succeeded.

In contrast to the ones in the past, the ongoing caravan contains a significant proportion of Venezuelans. One reason for this is a new policy introduced by Mexico in January, which requires Venezuelans to have a visa to enter the country, as reported by AP news. Earlier, Venezuelans could more easily enter Mexico as tourists and subsequently make their way to the US border.

Around 6 million Venezuelans have fled to neighboring countries in recent years, a report in the The New York Times said.

How do these migrants reach Mexico?

Motivated by a desire for a better life, members of the caravan have already undergone a long and treacherous journey to arrive in Mexico.

Those from South America had to cross the Darién Gap, one of the most dangerous routes in the world that connects South and Central America, consisting of 5,000 sq km of swampland, dense rainforests, steep mountains and venomous snakes. Migrants also face the risk of robbery, physical and sexual violence from smugglers and traffickers. According to a report by The Guardian, 13,000 illegal migrants entered Panama from Columbia through the Darién Gap in the first three months of 2022.

Why do they want to leave Mexico?

As per a report by the Associated Press, people have been complaining for months now that Mexico’s migrant containment policy holds them far from the US, in the southernmost parts of the country, and makes their lives extremely difficult. Many of them continue to be burdened with large debts that were incurred for their migration and there aren’t many job prospects in Tapachula either.

In Mexico, migrants that apply for humanitarian visas or asylums are supposed to remain in the southernmost state of Chiapas (where Tapachula is located) while the cases are processed, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Migrants claim that the authorities have been slow in granting them visas, leaving them stuck at Tapachula.

What has the caravan got to do with the Summit of the Americas?

This regional summit in Los Angeles seeks to address shared challenges, like migration, climate change and the economy.

Biden will be holding a meeting with regional leaders on Friday to sign a declaration that will aim to alleviate the migrant crisis in the Americas. During a speech at the event on Wednesday (June 8), Biden hinted at the declaration, and called it “a ground-breaking, integrated new approach” with shared responsibility across the hemisphere.

Organisers of the caravan said they timed it to coincide with the Summit of Americas to show regional leaders the acute problems faced by the migrants.

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Luis García Villagrán, of the Center for Human Dignity, who helped organise the caravan said that he wanted to send a message that “the migrant women and children, the migrant families are not bargaining chips for ideological and political interests”.

According to a draft document seen by Reuters on Thursday, the declaration will include pledges to restrict illegal migration and assist countries that are receiving large numbers of migrants.

Biden, who began his presidency in January 2021, has sought to do away with many of the stringent immigration policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.