Official figures show nine times more African immigrants arrived in Mexico last year than the year before.
Nearly 60,000 migrants will arrive from Africa in 2023, according to figures released by Mexico’s Interior Ministry over the weekend, a significant increase compared to last year, when 6,500 people made the journey.
Dana Graeber Radek, head of the United Nations International Organization for Migration’s mission to Mexico said that most migrants come from Guinea, Angola, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon.
She also said, “People leave their countries for a variety of reasons, which are often complex, ranging from general violence to extreme poverty and political instability, and of course the effects of climate change and natural disasters.” said.
The “vast majority” of African immigrants arriving in Mexico in 2023 do not want to build a life there, but rather cross the border into the United States, Graeber-Radek said.
She added that many migrants pay smugglers to facilitate their journey to Mexico, and the trip can cost between $10,000 and $20,000.