A campaign war between the government and the coyotes has triggered illegal migration from Guatemala

Regardless of the threatening speeches of Donald Trump about the resurgence of immigration policies in the United States, nor the multiple warnings from the Guatemalan government that, without success, tries to warn of the risks of migrating to the north, each time more Guatemalan citizens embark on a dangerous journey. All this with the aim of crossing the guarded border, which, despite its barriers, still promises a better future.

Leer en español: Guatemala: ¿Por qué sigue aumentando la migración ilegal hacia EE.UU?

According to figures from the Office of Customs and Border Protection, in the last two years, the number of Guatemalans arrested at the border trying to enter US territory almost doubled. According to the agency, only in 2017 were the Guatemalan authorities apprehended 42,757, a number that corresponds to almost half of all migrants who tried to cross the land border in the year in question.

Poverty, poor housing conditions and child malnutrition are the main reasons that motivate, mostly men, to undertake the journey. Which can end up in jail, deportation or even death.

Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in the Latin American region. In the region of the western highlands of that nation, the conditions for the inhabitants are more precarious than in the rest of the country. Data from the US Agency for International Development, they indicate that around 76% of the aforementioned population lives in conditions of extreme poverty and 67% of children under 5 years of age are chronically undernourished.

In this region, a large part of the population is rural and engaged in agriculture, but the decline in the prices of products such as coffee, corn, and beans has affected their fragile economies.

In addition, more than one million families do not have electricity in their homes, drug trafficking and gang warfare. Circumstances that become compelling reasons to migrate without documents to the north, despite the evident efforts of the US government to prevent the wave of illegal immigration from continuing to increase.

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Coyotes vs. Government: Campaign War

While the US strategies to stop illegal immigration covers different actions and nations, in Guatemala a special campaign is carried out that with gigantic, radio and television ads, aims to inform citizens about the consequences of trying to cross the US border without legal documents.

Statistics from the Customs and Border Protection Office indicate that at least 1.3 million dollars have been invested in the information campaign that is also being replicated in Honduras and El Salvador. In addition, it is expected that the US In the coming years, it will have available 200 million dollars to be used in the creation of agricultural projects in the Guatemalan highlands, which will allow the generation of jobs and poverty reduction in the area, which is the reason why national migrants mainly migrate.

But these efforts have a counterweight that seems more effective for Guatemalans. Coyotes and human traffickers also use radio advertisements, print advertising and even social networks to promote illegal border crossing, guaranteeing the arrival of the American union to any city.

Government warnings that demystify theories such as 'crossing the border with the whole family, pregnant women, or minors ensure entry to the desired country', are no stronger than the promises of the coyotes, who also offer payment facilities, transport, and loan of money to the daring individuals who by thousands decide to take the illegal road to the United States.

This war of campaigns between the government and the coyotes has even led to the US authorities offering rewards to those who denounce or deliver the traffickers of people. However, as statistics published in a recent article in The New York Times reveal, the community does not see coyotes as enemies, on the contrary, they are considered key elements and the only option for many to improve their lives.

Under this scenario, while the US government continues to apply strategies to reduce illegal immigration within its territory, entire regions such as the western highlands of Guatemala are not intimidated by the measures and continue with the firm intention of penetrating the US borders to work three, five or ten years, and return to your country with a little more money to survive.

LatinAmerican Post | Krishna Jaramillo

Translated from: 'Guatemala: ¿Por qué sigue aumentando la migración ilegal hacia EE.UU?'

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