Why in news?
A trail of migrants has been moving northwards from Honduras and Guatemala, towards Mexico and the U.S., in the recent days.
Is this the first time?
- Migration of Central Americans to Mexico and the US has taken place for decades.
- They are mostly economic migrants seeking escape from poverty in places like Honduras.
- Otherwise, they are people fleeing persecution, trafficking or gang violence in the region.
- Earlier this year, a caravan from Honduras had reached the Mexico-US border travelling 3,500 km.
- It was organised by a rights group called Pueblo Sin Fronteras (people without borders).
Why is the current one unique?
- In previous such caravans (a group travelling together), members numbered in the hundreds and dissipated along the way or upon reaching the border.
- However, a migrant caravan of such a scale and organised nature, as the current one, is relatively new.
- It originally numbered fewer than 200 people, grew to 1,000 by the time it had crossed into Guatemala.
- It is now estimated to have reached more than 7,000 migrants.
- The caravan was formed in San Pedro Sula in Honduras, known for high levels of violence.
- It has also gathered momentum from media attention and support from advocacy groups.
- But so far, no group has claimed responsibility for organising it.
What is the response?
- Americans are and will probably always be a nation of immigrants.
- As President, Barack Obama took a hard line on undocumented worker deportations.
- But he took a moderate stance when it came to delaying the deportation of childhood arrivals, and policed borders with a relatively light touch.
- Contrarily, Trump has made every effort to deliver on his radical campaign promise to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.
- The recent “migrant caravan” had led to warnings from Trump.
- He had alerted border authorities about a “national emergency”.
- He has also warned of criminals crossing over, economic dislocation and job loss.
- It was also said that the US would begin curtailing aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
- Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales had dismissed Trump’s threats, and rejected constraints placed on foreign aid.
- The Mexican government deployed about 700 National Police officers to the border and issued warnings to the caravan’s participants.
What next?
- The Trump administration is looking into an array of new policies that it hopes will deter Central Americans from such trips.
- These range from a new form of the practice of family separation to stricter requirements on asylum.
Source: Indian Express, The Hindu
