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Tense as US-bound central American caravan moves through Mexico

The United States is tensely watching the situation in Mexico where a US-bound caravan of over 7,000 migrant workers and other elements mingling with them, has crossed into Mexico, en route to the US borders.

President Donald Trump tweeted Monday the US would cut off foreign aid to countries that failed to stop the caravan.

He criticised Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador for failing to “do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the US”. Another caravan of about 1,000 people has departed from Honduras on its way to join the first larger group.

In the tweet, Trump said: “We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them”. The three countries received about US$500 million in funding from the US in 2017.

Trump has alerted the US military and federal border authorities that the migrant caravan, which originated in Honduras, was now a national emergency.

"Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s police and military are unable to stop the caravan heading to the southern border of the United States," Trump tweeted.

"Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and military that this is a national [emergency]. Must change laws!"

US politicians have expressed concern that criminal and extremist Middle Eastern elements could possibly blend in with the caravan and try to enter the US.

While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the migrants of violating the sovereignty and laws of Guatemala and Mexico by “attempting to transit these countries”, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said her agency was focused on rooting out potential criminal gang members who tried to mingle with the caravan.

"While we closely monitor the caravan crisis, we must remain mindful of the transnational criminal organisations and other criminals that prey on the vulnerabilities of those undertaking the irregular migration journey," she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the United Nations, which is closely watching the caravan’s movement to the US border in the south, has called for greater coordination on the ground involving all agencies.

Fielding questions from reporters at the daily press briefing on Monday, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, said the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), had strengthened resources on the ground, as the caravan of mainly Honduran refugees and migrants made its way north across the border between Guatemala and Mexico.

He said UN secretary-general António Guterres was urging all parties to abide by international law, including the principle of “full respect for countries’ rights to manage their own borders.”

The caravan, which started as a small group of under 200 just a few days ago, has grown considerably. Haq told journalists that “it is estimated that the caravan comprises some 7,233 people, many of whom intend to continue the march north.”

“UNHCR has reinforced its capacity in southern Mexico, with the deployment of an emergency team drawn from across Mexico’s operations,” he said. “The office now has 32 people on the ground, in the border, Ciudad Hidalgo and Tapachula.”

He said those numbers would increase in the coming days, explaining that the agency’s aim was to ensure that travellers were fully informed regarding their rights to asylum, along with providing legal advice and humanitarian assistance.

The IOM had reported large numbers of people arriving in Mexico who would likely remain in the country for an “extended period,” Haq said, adding that most individuals had crossed irregularly and been gathering in makeshift shelters.

--Bernama

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