Rights teams warn that migrants and asylum seekers journeying north by means of Mexico typically expertise violence.
The Mexican army has revealed that troopers opened fireplace this week on a truck carrying dozens of migrants, killing six individuals.
Mexico’s Ministry of Defence introduced in a press launch on Wednesday that the incident befell close to the city of Huixtla within the southern state of Chiapas the night earlier than, on October 1.
Within the instant aftermath of the taking pictures, “army personnel recognized 33 migrants of Egyptian, Nepalese, Cuban, Indian, Pakistani and Arab nationality, of whom 4 had died, 12 injured and 17 unhurt”, in keeping with the press launch.
It added that two extra individuals died after being transported to a neighborhood hospital.
The taking pictures befell about 41km (25 miles) from the town of Tapachula on the border with Guatemala, an space the place many migrants and asylum seekers start their perilous journey north by means of Mexico.
Immigrant rights teams say that violence and abuse by the hands of Mexican legislation enforcement and legal teams are frequent.
The Defence Ministry says that the 2 troopers who opened fireplace have been faraway from their posts. The case has been referred to federal prosecutors in addition to the army’s personal tribunal.
The incident reportedly befell at round 8:50pm on Tuesday (02:50 GMT, Wednesday), when troopers seen a pick-up-like automobile transferring at a excessive velocity.
The press launch explains the truck “evaded army personnel” and was adopted by two automobiles much like these utilized by legal teams within the space. The 2 troopers opened fireplace after “listening to detonations”, the Defence Ministry mentioned with out providing additional particulars.
The army mentioned it’s working with Mexico’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs to coordinate with embassies representing the international locations of the victims. The 17 migrants unhurt within the taking pictures have been handed over to Mexican migration authorities.
Critics say migrants and asylum seekers making the journey north in the direction of the USA typically pay the value of escalating legislation enforcement efforts.
The US authorities has pushed Mexico to extend enforcement efforts to stem irregular migration northwards, although the problem has been some extent of stress between the 2 international locations.
Former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, for example, criticised US efforts to construct a wall alongside the 2 international locations’ shared border.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has additionally moved to limit access to asylum alongside the border with Mexico, a transfer extensively denounced by immigrant rights teams.
Final yr, the Worldwide Group for Migration named the trail to the US-Mexico border the “deadliest land route for migrants worldwide”, citing dangers from the surroundings and legal teams, amongst different threats.
