Migrant Caravan - Central American Migration

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