Cubans among those trying to expedite immigration procedures at the Mexico border ahead of the elections in the U.S

Among the hundreds of migrants who have recently overwhelmed the offices of the National Institute of Migration (INM) at the southern border of Mexico, seeking to expedite and verify their CBP One appointments to apply for asylum in the United States just days before the elections in that country, there are also Cubans.

César Augusto Cañaveral Pérez, coordinator of the Human Mobility Pastoral in Tapachula, explained to the EFE agency that the migrants are primarily from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, although there are also other nationalities.

A migrant from Nicaragua, identified as Nelson Armando Cruz, stated that there are many from these three nationalities and, to a lesser extent, Central Americans, who have left their countries in search of better life opportunities in Mexico and the United States.

"You see the dictatorship; you know how countries are doing worldwide (...) in Nicaragua, they are imprisoning bishops (...) We express our gratitude to the Mexican people who have treated us very well," he stated.

The chaos primarily arises from the demand for the CBP One application, which has led to an increase in migration flow in this area of the country in recent weeks, Cañaveral Pérez explained.

This is mainly because these processes were previously conducted in the United States and are now taking place at the INM offices in Tapachula, Chiapas.

Alongside this, there has been an increase in the number of deaths and extortions against migrants, as organized crime and violence have intensified in this area, causing many foreigners to halt their progress.

In September of this year, more than 9,000 Cubans arrived in the United States, according to data released by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The exact figure (9,315) left the mentioned month with the lowest number of entries for the recently concluded fiscal year (FY 2024), which started in October 2023 and ended this September. For instance, in August, there were 11,742 entries recorded.

Globally, 217,615 Cubans were inspected by CBP and entered U.S. soil in FY 2024. This marks the second highest figure since 2021, just surpassed by the record of 224,607 in fiscal year 2022.