Central American migrants protest closure of Tijuana shelter
Updated 11:32, 08-Jan-2019
CGTN
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Federal police took steps to close a migrant shelter in Mexico's city of Tijuana on Friday, sparking protests from some U.S.-bound people who had been staying there after traveling in a caravan from Central America.
The arrival of several thousand migrants in recent months has challenged Mexico's new president to fulfill the pledges to protect migrants in Mexico, just as the U.S. makes it increasingly hard for them to cross the border.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who began his presidency last month, has yet to detail how he will improve what he has described as deplorable conditions for people trekking thousands of miles across Mexico to the U.S. border.
In mid-December, officials said that, of the nearly 6,000 migrants who had arrived in Tijuana in caravans, about half were at a large shelter in a former concert venue and another several hundred had dispersed to other shelters in the city, such as the one being closed. About 1,000 had crossed into the U.S., while another 1,000 returned to their home countries.
A boy forming part of the Central American migrants traveling to the U.S. carries his belongings while police officers look on, as migrants staying at a shelter in Tijuana are relocated to other shelters in the city in Baja California state, January 4, 2019. /VCG Photo

A boy forming part of the Central American migrants traveling to the U.S. carries his belongings while police officers look on, as migrants staying at a shelter in Tijuana are relocated to other shelters in the city in Baja California state, January 4, 2019. /VCG Photo

Tijuana officials said it's the sanitary reasons that they decided to close the shelter, which is a two-story warehouse in a zone known for crime and prostitution near the border.
The industrial site was overcrowded, poorly lit and lacked proper facilities for food preparation, said Isain Venegas, a supervisor in Mexico's public health system. He added that common illnesses had been treated.
Officials told migrants that they could move to the bigger shelter, run by the federal government, about seven miles (11 kilometers) from the border.
Many migrants protested, saying they did not expect other sites to be any better. "Not one of the shelters in Tijuana has the conditions for them to keep us in ... the authorities are tricking us," said a Honduran migrant Reinerio Laine.
Migrants, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the U.S., sort through clothing donations at a temporary shelter in Tijuana, January 3, 2019. /VCG Photo

Migrants, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the U.S., sort through clothing donations at a temporary shelter in Tijuana, January 3, 2019. /VCG Photo

Several dozen migrants had refused to leave and were joined by U.S. activists, as federal and local police in riot gear took formation at the entrance.
Others packed belongings and set off on foot to nearby shelters, while several dozen waited for a bus that would bring them to the larger, government-run facility.
"We had hoped that now with President Lopez Obrador he could see the conditions we're in. They said he was going to help, but they've treated us worse than animals," said Maria Claros, 28, from Honduras.
"We don't have anywhere to wash or do our business. I bathe with cold water when I have 20 pesos to pay for it," she added.
Source(s): Reuters