Protest in Tijuana over migrants
TIJUANA: Hundreds of Tijuana residents yesterday congregated around a monument in an affluent section of the city south of California to protest the thousands of Central American migrants who have arrived in hopes of a new life in the US.
Tensions have built as nearly 3000 migrants from the caravan poured into Tijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with many more months ahead of them while they seek asylum. The US Government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to 10,000.
US border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana’s main crossing to San Diego. Asylum seekers register their names in a tattered notebook managed by migrants themselves that had more than 3000 names even before the caravan arrived.
Yesterday, displeased Tijuana residents waved Mexican flags, sang the Mexican national anthem and chanted ‘‘Out! Out!’’ in front of a statue of the Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc, 1.5km from the US border.
They accused the migrants of being messy, ungrateful and a danger to Tijuana. They also complained about how the caravan forced its way into Mexico, calling it an ‘‘invasion’’.
The migrants’ expected long stay in Tijuana has raised concerns about the ability of the border city of more than 1.6 million people to handle the influx. — Reuters