15 Jan 2019 | 10:44 AM UTC
Honduras/Guatemala/Mexico/US: Migrant caravan travels north to US January 15
Increased security, possible closures at border crossings between Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, US as migrant caravan travels north to US
Event
Increased security measures are to be anticipated at border crossings between Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and the US in the coming days and weeks as a caravan of migrants, which departed from San Pedro Sula in Honduras, in the early morning (local time) of Tuesday, January 15, is en route to the US. Some border crossings may also be closed without notice.
Context
Another group of migrants left San Pedro Sula (Honduras) on October 13, growing in size as it passed through Honduras and Guatemala. Long processing times at the Guatemala-Mexico border led to high tensions and attempts at illegal crossings, as well as clashes between migrants and security forces (e.g. stone throwing). Heightened security measures were also reported at the Guatemala-Belize border, where buses were temporarily been refused entry until it could be confirmed that passengers were not part of the caravan. While some 2500 people from that caravan remain in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, more than 7000 have returned to Honduras, according to Honduran officials.
Advice
Individuals in the abovementioned countries are advised to keep abreast of the situation, keep their distance from the caravan, and to avoid land border crossings if possible in the coming days.
