Mexico detains 45,000 migrants in two months
August 15, 2019, 5:30 am

Mexico detains 45,000 migrants in two months

A Central American migrant is detained by a Federal Police officer in Mapastepec, Mexico. (File photo Reuters)

Mexico said Wednesday it has detained more than 45,000 undocumented immigrants in the past two months, as it seeks to show Washington it is taking action to reduce migration across their shared border.

The Mexican government promised in June to take “unprecedented” steps to slow a recent surge of Central American migrants crossing its territory to the United States, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the country.

Eager to show results, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico had detained 46,616 migrants from June 8 to August 11, after deploying 21,000 National Guardsmen to bolster security on its northern and southern borders.

Trump’s tariff threat has placed Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leftist who took office last December vowing to safeguard migrants’ rights, in the awkward position of now having to crack down on migration.

Speaking alongside Lopez Obrador at a press conference, Ebrard said the government was seeking to protect migrants traveling in unsafe conditions.

“They’re climbing onto semi trucks, using false documents, and that puts people at risk,” he said.

He added that Mexico had agreed to fund programs to create 20,000 jobs in El Salvador and 13,000 in Honduras, in a bid to fight the poverty and violence driving the recent exodus from Central America.

Mexico is urging international donors -- including the United States -- to fund a decade-long, $10-billion-a-year economic development package for the region in order to address the underlying problems driving migration.

The Mexican government has itself pledged $100 million for development programs in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Mexico’s border crack-down appears to be delivering results: the United States detained 82,049 undocumented migrants at its southern border in July -- 21 percent fewer than in June and 43 percent fewer than in May, when detentions hit a 13-year high of 144,266.

AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”