The journey from Central America and Mexico is an extremely perilous one for those seeking asylum in the United States. There are many hazards along the way, ranging from lack of food and water to gang violence. Accordingly, there is the need for aid programs in these countries to help refugees on their journeys. There are several programs that mainly aid refugees from Central America and Mexico. Unfortunately, there are likely many other programs that are largely undocumented to avoid legal repercussions. It is likely that many civil-society organizations operate to help refugees, but their existence is underground. A well-known, government sponsored aid organization is called Grupos Beta. Founded in 1991, this program is sponsored by the National Institute of Migration of Mexico. Its agents offer food, water, and medical help to people on their journeys to the United States. The journey to the US includes hot, dry expanses, and immigrants often die of dehydration and exhaustion. Grupos Beta seeks to amend this. The program is adamant about its mission to help migrants regardless of their immigration status, but it is also obligated to return migrants to their homes rather than helping them cross into the United States. Unfortunately, the program's funding is not sufficient to aid all those in need of assistance. An LA Times article noted that "there are just 75 Beta agents along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border, hopelessly few for such vast terrain. The United States, by comparison, has nearly 9,000 agents on the border". Thus, though Grupos Beta is helping refugees as much as possible, there is still need for more humanitarian response in Mexico.
source: http://www.migrantes.pri.org.mx/SabiasQue/Sabias.aspx?y=995
The UN Refugee Agency, known as UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), has also responded to the refugee crises in Latin America. The website cites several statistics, pictured below. The program, according to the UNHCR website, attempts to: “ensure protection safeguards at sensitive borders and strengthen regional cooperation and information sharing to combat and prevent human trafficking; enhance victims' protection; preserve the right to seek asylum; and establish mechanisms for the identification of protection needs and referrals”. This initiative is likely more helpful to refugees at certain borders, rather than those in between checkpoints in need of help. While these two programs and the numerous undocumented programs are doing what they can, it is clear that refugees are not receiving aid on their journeys to adequately protect them from dehydration, assault, and numerous other sufferings and injustices.
Sources/to learn more:
http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jun/17/news/mn-11542
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e45be46.html
