New caravan forms in Mexico as frustrated migrants complain about visa delays

New caravan forms in Mexico as frustrated migrants complain about visa delays

By Jacob Garcia

A new migrant caravan of approximately 2,000 people formed in southern Mexico on Monday, largely made up of people that have been on the move since Christmas Eve who say the Mexican government's promises of transit visas last week never materialized.

The migrants, including some carrying young children, are walking to the southern Oaxaca town of Tapanatepec, about 800 kilometers (480 miles) south of Mexico City by road. They hope to reach Tapanatepec by nightfall.

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The group of mostly Central American and Caribbean migrants are ultimately headed for the U.S. border, the caravan's leader Luis Villagran said.

Last week, the group had dispersed after boarding buses to processing centers in the hope of receiving travel permits, which would allow them and their families free transport through Mexico.

However, Villagran said most migrants never received the permits.

"We were waiting for two days for a response, and the third day immigration came," said one Salvadoran migrant, Rosa Vasquez. "We signed the papers with an agreement with our lawyer... but they never gave a response."

"Immigration lied to us. They just wanted to disperse the group."

Mexican immigration authorities did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"Everyone knows what our situation is," said Carlos Vera, from Ecuador, as he walked along the highway. "We don't have another option."

Last year, record numbers of migrants attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which for many was the culmination of a long journey across the continent.

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More than half a million migrants - double the previous year's record - crossed the dangerous Darien Gap from South America into Central America, many fleeing poverty, crime and conflict and hoping to gain entry into the United States.