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Central American refugees escape one horror, start of another

by Tomás González Castillo | Aurora Prize nominee
Tuesday, 24 April 2018 12:53 GMT

Central American migrants, moving in a caravan through Mexico, walk on a street in Hermosillo, in Sonora state, Mexico April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

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* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

These men, women and children all face risks such as enslavement, forced labour, prostitution and human trafficking

It’s a sad fact that for many U.S.-bound Central American refugees, escaping their own country is the end of one horror, but just the start of another. Those who flee the Northern Triangle states of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in search of a better life face a perilous journey. In their attempts to reach the United States, they risk persecution, abuse and murder.  

According to the UNHCR, from 2011 to 2016, the number of people from the Northern Triangle who have sought refuge in surrounding countries increased by 2,249 percent. Last year alone, over 110,000 people fled the region to begin their journey to the United States through Mexico. 

These men, women and children all face risks such as enslavement, forced labour, prostitution and human trafficking. Those that do survive often arrive in their host countries with mental and physical scarring from all they have endured, at the hands of those they turned to for protection.

Whilst much of the international community, and authorities in the region, have ignored the problem, it was brought to the world's attention following the San Fernando massacre in 2010. This appalling and senseless atrocity saw 72 undocumented migrants kidnapped, tortured and killed whilst traveling through Mexico. The grip that drug cartels have on much of Mexico and surrounding countries means that refugees, or those without documentation, are essentially at their mercy. 

This massacre was on a truly shocking scale, but sadly, events like this are far from a one-off. I've heard first hand from refugees, about the unimaginable abuse they have faced from organised crime rings on their journey North. Stories of entire families, or groups of refugees, being murdered by Mexican cartels for refusing to participate in serious crime, or work without pay, are countless.

A recent study by the International Crisis Group estimated the number of refugees that have been victims of sexual exploitation over the past five years was more than 50,000 in the region. Doctors Without Borders confirmed in a recent study that 39 percent of Central America’s refugees had been extorted or forced into gangs.

This is why I founded La 72 in 2011, a shelter for refugees named after those killed in the San Fernando massacre. My mission remains clear; to defend the basic human rights of these refugees. This includes protecting and rehabilitating victims of kidnapping, sexual assault and serious violence. We provide shelter, support and advice for those forced to flee these states through no fault of their own.

We're incredibly proud of the work we have done since opening our doors. We have provided humanitarian aid, accommodation, mental and physical health care and legal assistance to over 75,000 people. But our situation, and that of refugees across the region, isn't sustainable.

We welcome 80 new arrivals each day. In Northern Guatemala alone, up to 400 people cross the river into Mexico daily. Instability in Venezuela will continue to worsen, drastically increasing the number of refugees using the Central American route to reach the United States.

At La 72, we are hugely grateful for the cooperation and assistance of our NGO partners. But, to achieve genuinely sustainable and effective solutions, what we have is simply is not enough. We need greater recognition of this problem from the governments of Central America, Mexico and the United States.

We need to increase cooperation between governments and aid agencies in our region, to ensure that refugees can access the services that are offered, and to provide shelters such as ours with the funding we need.

No one man or woman alone can be expected to solve this problem, and the crisis doesn't respect borders. I am hopeful, however, that with the right political commitments and continued activism, we can protect our brothers and sisters in their time of need.

Fr. Tomás González Castillo is one of three humanitarians to be honoured at the third annual Aurora Prize Ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia on June 9, 2018. The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a global humanitarian award founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide established to recognize modern-day heroes.

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