The Mexico City-bound caravan of migrants that left the southern border city of Tapachula, Chiapas, on Saturday wasn’t on the road long: it was intercepted 14 hours later by the National Guard and immigration authorities, who returned the migrants to Tapachula.

The 3,000 migrants, mostly Haitians and Cubans, had been waiting in Tapachula for as long as six months for their immigration status to be regularized, allowing them to travel to the United States.

But under the Mexican government’s current policy, a permit for free passage through the country is no longer available.

After leaving Tapachula early Saturday morning, the migrants arrived in the municipality of Huehuetán around noon, escorted by an ambulance, police, representatives from the National Human Rights Commission and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Some of those who fell behind turned themselves in or were arrested by immigration authorities.

When the caravan arrived in Tuzantán, they were blocked by 300 National Guardsmen. The migrants asked the troops to let them pass, but allowed themselves to be arrested when police stood their ground.

The caravan was dissolved without a confrontation, and the migrants were returned to the Siglo XXI migrants’ center in Tapachula.

Source: Milenio (sp)