Tidal Wave Of Six Thousand Immigrants In Baja California, More Expected To Arrive Soon

ALFREDO AZCARATE VARELA
THE BAJA POST/EDITOR

The immigration wave that several thousands of people have unleashed in Baja California, seems to be under-estimated by the State General Secretary of Government, Catalino Zavala Márquez, during Governor Marina del Pilar Avila Wednesday morning conference in Mexicali, he informed that there are six thousand immigrants in the State, according to him, in Mexicali there are around 2 thousand and he did not specify what will happen to these people.

There are shelters open in the city but they are full of people, the Government and private associations are putting up a big effort to deal with six thousand immigrants in the State, and there may be mora arriving

The question is: How long will they be here? Will the community absorb them? Zavala dodged and did not answer these two important questions saying: “Nobody is expected to leave, immigration is a global issue, we respect their human rights”.

It would be interesting to remind Secretary Zavala, that if they stay, they will need medical services, food, a place to live, school for the children and employment for those who decide to stay in Baja California, but for Catalino Zavala, all that seems to be “covered” in some way by federal and state resources.

During the 2018 immigration crisis, there were immigrants dwelling in Mexicali outskirts, but they were only passing through heading for Tijuana, situation hasn´t gone that bad this time, but something has to be done this time.

“We respect the human rights of these people and immigration is a phenomenon that not only occurs in Mexico, it is a situation that occurs throughout the world,” Zavala said, but again, he did not explain how the needs of these people will be met, as they require food and medical services among other immediate necessities.

***During Governor Marina del Pilar morning conference, Secretary of Government, Catalino Zavala, spoke about the State’s immigration crisis, but he seemed to underestimate it***

The Civic Associations which operate immigrants shelters are packed, they are making a huge effort even when their Federal Fund Aid was closed down in 2018, because the Federal Government said that they would provide the immigrants with shelter directly, but they are overcrowded and still working, they were here and worked hard during the Haitian and Honduran immigration waves before 2018, when they were financed by Government funds.

***Among other services, immigrants need medical attention, and Mexico´s Government provides for them.***

Most of the immigrants come from Venezuela and aim to enter the United States, there are Central Americans and Mexicans as well, said Zavala, but then he avoided answering further questions about these people expectations if they stay in the state, but Secretary Zavala did not answer, he took the long way around talking all over and didn´t say anything concrete about the immigrants crisis.

The Haitian immigration wave that arrived around 2015, was different, some of them got into the US, while many of them stayed in Mexicali, got a job or started a business such as this Haitian Restaurant.

Governor Marina del Pilar assured that these immigrants will be supported as much as possible, assuring that Mexicali has “an excellent coordination protocol” and she recalled that more than one 300 Haitians have joined the community, she said that it could be done with those who are arriving now, Venezuelans and Central Americans the majority, but their mindset is very different than that of the Haitians.

Expectations are not very high, since most of those immigrants want to enter the United States and ask for humanitarian or political asylum, and they must wait on Mexico, becoming sort of a social issue that the State Government seems to ignore, intentionally or not, but consequences may not be positive, time will tell.