18 January 2019•Update: 19 January 2019
BUENOS AIRES
Part of the 700 plus South American migrants headed for the U.S. arrived Thursday at Guatemala’s border crossing at the Mexican frontier, according media reports from Mexico.
The migrants, mostly Hondurans, are camping at Suchiate in the Guatemalan border province of Chiapas, where they have been requesting asylum from Mexico, Milenio television channel reported.
Mexican authorities have announced that they will handle asylum requests swiftly.
Documents provided by Mexico’s National Institute for Migration (INM) ensure migrants to have primary health care in state hospitals and to apply for jobs.
Honduran migrant Tulio Marcia Caballero told reporters that she came to Mexico for better living conditions.
Another migrant, Nolvia Enriquez, said her 10-year-old son has muscular disease and added: “I came here, because I heard that my son can only be treated in the U.S.”
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tuesday of a "big new" group of migrants coming to the U.S. from Latin America, adding that the newest caravan is coming from Honduras where rampant gang violence and poverty has led many people to leave their countries for the U.S.
Trump has pledged to prevent migrant groups from Central America setting foot on U.S. soil from Mexico, extending a mission to back security along the border with Mexico until Sept. 30.
Reporting by Muhammed Emin Canik:Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
