An rising variety of migrants from Asia, the Center East, and Africa have begun migrating via Mexico en path to the US in recent times.
However Muslim migrants face a sequence of further challenges in Mexico, human rights consultants say, from language obstacles to misconceptions about those that observe a faith with scant presence in Mexican society.
In line with 2020 census knowledge, there are fewer than 8,000 Muslims residing in Mexico, representing lower than 0.01 per cent of the inhabitants.
“They’ve a really specific scenario on account of their tradition and faith,” stated Soraya Vazquez, of the human rights group Al Otro Lado. “There may be a variety of stigma towards the Muslim neighborhood.”
Many migrants who journey to Mexico from different continents hoping to finally attain the US should pay smugglers hundreds of {dollars} for the prolonged journeys. This places them liable to extortion and violence, Vazquez stated, particularly if they’re unable to repay the hefty money owed as a result of they’re caught in Mexico.
Reuters spoke with 5 Afghan migrants in Tijuana who all had their US asylum appointments cancelled. Like Zazai, they stated they may not return to Afghanistan, however that staying in Mexico felt like a deadly choice, too.
“It was like a funeral right here,” stated Ahmed Tijani, assistant director of the Assabil shelter who’s initially from Ghana, describing the ambiance within the refuge on Trump’s first day in energy. “Nobody might consider what occurred.”