A fire broke out at an immigration holding centre in northern Mexico near the US border on Tuesday, killing more than 30 migrants, according to a Mexican official.
Rows of bodies were spread out under shimmery silver sheets outside the facility in Ciudad Juarez, Texas. Evenafter hours after the fire broke out late Monday. Ambulances, firefighters, and mortuary vehicles swarmed the scene.
According to a National Immigration Institute official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Because they were not authorised to talk publicly about the case, 39 people died and 29 were injured.
Ciudad Juarez serves as a main entry point for migrants to the United States. Its shelters are packed with migrants waiting for chances to cross the border. Or who have applied for asylum in the United States and are awaiting the outcome of the process.
According to media reports, Mexico’s attorney general’s office has initiated an investigation and has investigators on the scene.
President Joe Biden’s government in the United States has been expecting to stem the tide of people. Who is embarking on often perilous journeys organised by human smugglers to reach the US.
New Restrictions to the migrants
Biden suggested new restrictions on asylum seekers in February. Hoping to stem the influx of people to the southern border once they remove COVID-related controls.
According to the new regulations, those who arrive at the border and merely cross into the US will no longer be eligible for asylum. They must instead apply for asylum in one of the countries they travel through on their way to the US border. Or apply online through a US government app.
Every month, approximately 200,000 migrants attempt to pass the border from Mexico to the United States. Most are from Central and South America. And they are seeking asylum due to poverty and violence in their native countries.
According to a recent International Organization for Migration report, approximately 7,661 migrants have died or disappeared en route to the US since 2014. Meanwhile 988 dying in accidents or while travelling in inhumane circumstances.