Mexico’s deportations of Central Americans rise sharply

Mexico deported 79 percent more people from Central America’s northern triangle in the first four months of 2015 than it did during the same period a year earlier, according to government statistics.

Data from Mexico’s National Immigration Institute say that 51,565 immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were deported between January and April, up from 28,736, during that period in 2014.

Deportation of Guatemalans rose 124 percent, followed by Salvadorans at 79 percent and Hondurans at 40 percent.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday expressed its “concern over stepped-up actions reportedly being taken against migrant persons” that were put in place after Mexico initiated its Southern Border Plan last year under pressure from the United States.

In 2014, more than 46,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America crossed into the United States, leading the U.S. government to turn to the governments in Mexico and Central America to try to stanch the flow.

Mexico responded with an initiative that included sending 5,000 federal police gendarmes to Chiapas, a Mexican state bordering Guatemala. More border checkpoints were opened, raids on migrants increased and authorities focused on keeping migrants off the northbound freight train known as “the Beast.”

On Thursday, Adam Isacson, head of regional security at the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights organization, said in a statement that the wave of immigration seen from Central America in 2014 continues.

“Enormous numbers of Central Americans are still fleeing, but most of them are now getting caught in Mexico instead of the United States,” he said.

The countries the migrants are returned to remain extremely dangerous. Honduras and El Salvador have the highest per-capita homicide rates in the world. El Salvador is averaging 20 killings a day as the conflict between gangs, police and soldiers intensifies.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said it was also worried about reports of attacks on migrant advocates in southern Mexico.

Migrant activist Ruben Figueroa in Tenosique, a town in Mexico’s state of Tabasco, said police are waging a violent campaign against migrants.

“Masked officers with rifles run operations on the train to keep (migrants) off and to remove migrants from the train,” Figueroa said. “They set up checkpoints on the highways, above all in the southern states of Tabasco, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz. They enter hotels in the areas where migrants take shelter waiting for rides.”

Figueroa said the flow of migrants has not decreased because conditions in their countries have not improved. He said Mexico’s crackdown is only exposing migrants to greater risks of human trafficking, extortion, assault and other crimes.

“Every day there are more people who walk, every time more exposed,” he said. “Women with children walk hundreds of kilometers at night in big groups.”

In Guatemala, Ursula Roldan, migration coordinator at Rafael Landivar University in Guatemala City, also raised concerns about the crackdown leading migrants to take bigger risks.

“They have changed the migration corridors,” Roldan said. “The route north is changing. Maybe, too, they are beginning to use maritime routes, even more dangerous than the other migration routes.”

Mexico deported 79 percent more people from Central America's northern triangle in the first four months of 2015 than it did during the same . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • hurricane-flossie-strengthens-july-1-2025Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-hurricane-mexico-pacific-coastTropical Storm Flossie to Strengthen into Hurricane as It Tracks Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane by July 2 as it moves parallel to Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing dangerous rainfall, wind, and surf. Tropical Storm Flossie is on the verge of forming from Tropical Depression Six-E and is forecast to strengthen rapidly into a hurricane as it parallels Mexico’s southwestern…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-strengthens-mexico-june-2025Tropical Storm Flossie Strengthens Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Could Become Hurricane by Tuesday Tropical Storm Flossie gains strength off southwestern Mexico, with hurricane status possible by Tuesday. Storm warnings issued from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula. Tropical Storm Flossie continues to gain strength off Mexico’s Pacific coastline, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across several southwestern states. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Flossie is expected…
  • oregon-murder-fugitive-extradited-puerto-vallartaFugitive Wanted for 2008 Oregon Homicide Captured in Puerto Vallarta and Extradited to U.S. Jesús Rodríguez Borrayo, a fugitive for 17 years, was extradited from Mexico to Oregon for his role in a 2008 drive-by shooting that left one dead. He was located in Puerto Vallarta. A man wanted for murder and other violent crimes in the United States for nearly two decades has been extradited after being found…
  • tropical-storm-flossie-mexico-coast-rain-surf-alertCabo Corrientes under tropical storm watch as Flossie expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Dangerous Surf to Southwestern Mexico Tropical Storm Flossie is forecast to strengthen and may impact Mexico's southwest coast from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes with heavy rain, flooding, and hazardous surf early this week. Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to deliver heavy rains, gusty winds, and dangerous surf conditions to Mexico’s southwestern coast in the coming days, prompting authorities to issue…
  • cabo-corrientes-warning-canceled-hurricane-flossieCabo Corrientes Spared as Hurricane Flossie Warning Lifted, But Pacific Coast Still at Risk Cabo Corrientes no longer under tropical storm watch as Hurricane Flossie nears Mexico's Pacific coast, with dangerous winds and heavy rains threatening Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. The tropical storm watch for Cabo Corrientes was officially canceled Tuesday, offering a measure of relief for the scenic coastal town as Hurricane Flossie continues to churn off Mexico’s…
  • cancun-2025-sargassum-beaches-and-activitiesSargassum won’t ruin your Cancun vacation, there are plenty of clean beaches and tourist activities As the 2025 sargassum season continues through September, visitors to Cancun can still enjoy clear beaches like Playa Delfines and Playa Caracol. As the 2025 sargassum season intensifies across Quintana Roo, tourists are finding it more difficult to enjoy the region’s iconic white-sand beaches without encountering the unsightly brown seaweed. While the influx of sargassum…
  • cancun-beach-cleanup-sargassumMassive Beach Cleanup to Combat Sargassum in Cancun After a week of the Cancun’s tourism department denying sargassum existed and insisting media photos were fakes, over 600 public servants and volunteers joined the first simultaneous beach cleanup. In a bold step toward environmental preservation and tourism sustainability, Cancun's Municipal President Ana Paty Peralta led the city’s first simultaneous beach cleanup effort this week.…
Scroll to Top