AZMEX I3 21-7-18

AZMEX I3 21 JUL 2018


Note: as always, "immigrants" means illegal immigrants.
Thx


Immigrants face risks on their way through Mexico
Details Published on Saturday, July 21, 2018,
Written by Special

http://www.eldiariodesonora.com.mx/notas.php?nota=115541

CDMX

The Pacific route to the US, where they would move through the territory of the Sinaloa cartel, is the least dangerous.

Immigrants who cross Mexico, whether to stay in the country or to reach the United States, face many dangers, especially from local criminals, gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
This is explained by the report 'Organized Crime and Central American Migration in Mexico', prepared by the Robert Strauss Center of the University of Texas, published in June 2018.

The report uses information from the Central American Migration Risk Database (CAMRD), composed of crimes committed against immigrants that were reported in the press. The center Robert Strauss explained that the cases were confirmed by reports from various organizations.

Among the conclusions, they point out that most of the threats to immigrants are on the eastern route, the shortest route to reach Texas, United States.

The authors of the report list the main dangers faced by immigrants who cross Mexico on their way to the United States.
As they say, the three types of attackers described (local actors, gangs and transnational criminal organizations) commit all kinds of crimes, although in some cases they are more specialized in some kind.

Trafficking in persons: Criminal organizations, mainly the larger ones, can exploit migrant workers or work their way through Mexico,
according to the report.

Kidnappings: Criminal organizations take advantage of immigrants and call relatives in the United States
or their countries of origin to get money, the report said.

Extortion: The report also ensures that criminal actors, mainly transnational organizations and gangs, sometimes force immigrants to pay to move to a specific area or take some form of transportation.

Robbery: This is a very common crime in the migratory routes, both on foot and by train, according to the data of this center.

Assaults: These types of crimes do not usually go alone, but are accompanied by other crimes, according to this report.

Sexual attacks: The main victims of rapes are usually women traveling through Mexico, either on foot or by train.

Abandonment: Immigrants sometimes pay traffickers to guide them through Mexico and the border with the United States.
But sometimes these smugglers abandon them to collect their money, which entails 'important risks for immigrants',
whether attacks or risks of being unprotected under extreme weather conditions.

IMMIGRANTS COLLABORATE WITH THE CRIMINALS.

In addition, the report explains that some immigrants agree to interact with these criminal organizations to 'facilitate their travels', something that exposes them to greater risks should the agreement break, explain the authors.

According to the report, there are three types of crimes that immigrants usually commit in relation to criminal groups: trafficking in persons, payment to criminal groups or drug trafficking in exchange for the right to cross the border. In these cases, the report ensures that if immigrants 'can not complete the trip, their guide leaves them behind'.

MOST DANGEROUS PLACES FOR IMMIGRANTS

The compendium of data on crimes committed against immigrants crossing Mexico gives information on where these crimes occur and, therefore, on the places that are most dangerous to them.

According to the report, most of the crimes occurred on trains, followed by trucks or cars and, thirdly, on buses.
Where less violations occur is in residences and private properties.

As regards the locations by the Mexican states, the northern and southern borders of Mexico turn out to be the most dangerous for immigrants. Most of the attacks against them between 2008 and 2018 occurred on the eastern route of Mexico, in the states of Tamaulipas and Chiapas, according to the report.

'This suggests that the Pacific route to the United States, where immigrants would mainly move through territory controlled by the Sinaloa cartel, is generally less dangerous than the Gulf of Mexico route, the Zetas' territory and the Gulf cartel', Detail the report.

The report encourages Mexican authorities to improve the protection of immigrants crossing Mexico to, in addition to preventing crimes,
deprive criminal organizations of an illegal source of wealth.

The report would conclude with a series of recommendations on the matter for the Federal Police of Mexico,
but these have not been made public for security reasons, the report said.

End