Politics

Border city Ciudad Juárez marks World Migrant Day

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Sep 25 (EFE).- Dozens of migrants of various nationalities attended Sunday’s mass in a cathedral in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez for the 108th World Migrant Day.

Holding flags from their countries of origin, the migrants entered in a line and sat in the front of the church for the ceremony held in their honor.

Father Calvillo, director of the Casa del Migrante shelter, led the sermon, saying: “Man has the right to seek a better life. The sad thing is that we always find rich people who put up barriers and walls. This leads to death for migrants. We all deserve better, no matter what color or language we speak.”

Father Calvillo told EFE that “like when they go to a psychologist, this mass helps them. It’s discovering that they are not alone and also need God.”

He said the fact that some migrants can cross into the United States and others cannot seems to be random, and that he does not understand government strategies in making such a selection, which generates despair and plays with migrants’ dignity.

One of the migrants who attended the mass was Bianca Canales, originally from Honduras.

“I have been in Juárez for a month. I came with my husband and my two children. The road was hard. Back in Guatemala they wanted to kidnap us, and here they asked us for money. The care we have right now where we are in the shelter is good,” she told EFE.

Another case is that of fellow Honduran Luz Marina Márquez.

“There they killed my 17-year-old son. Here in Juárez they have treated us very nicely. We have hope to be able to cross (into the US). It is very hard to leave your country, I do not wish it on anyone. I can no longer return because of so much violence in my country,” he said.

More than a month since the announcement of the cancellation of the US’ Remain in Mexico program, the border region is experiencing a migration crisis. The US Customs and Border Protection agency says it has intercepted more than 1.7 million people so far in fiscal year 2022, which began last October. EFE

gp/tw

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