Afraid to stay in Mexico, afraid of Trump’s policies, some migrants are looking to return home By Reuters
Written by Lizbeth Diaz
(Reuters) – Every day, Nidia Montenegro spends hours checking her cell phone, hoping to get a long-awaited appointment with US border officials to seek asylum in the United States.
The 52-year-old Venezuelan immigrant to Mexico says he fears his nomination won’t come until President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, when he vows to repeal dozens of programs that have allowed immigrants to enter the US legally. – including the government action plan used by Montenegro to try to secure his appointment.
That would leave thousands of migrants like Montenegro in limbo and faced with the choice of trying to cross into the US illegally, stay in Mexico, or return home.
Given those options, Montenegro says he will return home, more afraid of the violence he encountered while traveling through Mexico than the hardships he left behind in Venezuela.
“I’m hurt, if I don’t find time I’ll go back,” he said dejectedly.
“There is always a threat from corporate groups that have kidnapped us,” added this woman, who says that although she is thinking of returning home, she does not have the money to do so.
Twelve migrants interviewed in Mexico by Reuters said they prefer to return to their countries despite the ongoing problems that drive them to migrate, such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity and political problems.
That’s too small a sample to draw clear conclusions about how immigrants will react after Trump takes office, and much will depend on what policies he implements and how.
But it highlights the difficult decisions that many may face after Jan. 20.
Mexico’s violence is difficult in any decision.
Montenegro told Reuters he was kidnapped along with two nephews and dozens of others, including children, the day he arrived in southern Mexico from Guatemala two months ago. After two days, the group managed to escape.
He now lives in a shelter in the southern state of Chiapas, fearing that criminals in the area will kidnap him again.
Organized crime has established extensive human trafficking networks throughout Mexico, making travel north across the country treacherous. Mexico is plagued by violence, with around 30,000 people killed each year and more than 100,000 people officially listed as missing.
Many migrants are stolen, beaten, raped, forced to commit crimes, and even killed. The Mexican government is trying to slow the arrival of migrants at the US border, by busing and flying non-Mexican migrants to the south of the country, adding to the danger.
Mexico’s presidential office and the National Migration Institute did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The International Organization for Migration told Reuters that in the past seven years, it has helped several thousand migrants – mostly Central Americans – return voluntarily from Mexico to their countries, including victims of violence. However, it declined to provide specific figures.
“I cry every day and I ask God to take me back, I don’t want to be here anymore… this is too bad,” said Yuleidi Moreno, a Venezuelan immigrant who is afraid to live in Mexico. Through tears, he said that he had been a victim of violence, but refused to give further details.
A Venezuelan official familiar with migration issues said that currently, between 50 and 100 of our people request so-called “voluntary return” from Mexico every week, either on their own or with government assistance. “There are terrible tragedies like kidnapping, sexual exploitation, a lot of problems, and some want to come back as soon as possible.”
Despite the dangers, some will persist, whether it’s joining caravans, paying off a human trafficker, or clinging to the hope of a US government border designation.
“I hope to arrive before Mr. Trump takes office,” said Johana, a young Venezuelan migrant who plans to cross from Guatemala to Mexico this week. “If not by appointment, there is always a way,” he added.
