by Édgar Velasco
Makena Morego is 14 years old and never stops laughing. She talks and gesticulates and then starts laughing again. She arrived in Tijuana ten days ago from Haiti, because, she says, her native country "has many problems." Makena is waiting for her turn to enter the United States. Until that time, she says that they are treating her very well "thank God" and she does not stop dancing and laughing.
Thousands of migrants from Haiti have arrived in Tijuana and Mexicali. Fr Felipe Plascencia, Director of the Salesian Centre, explains that the situation is confusing: "the US Senate announced that they would give preferential treatment to Haitians in giving residence. Every day, however, about 400 people reach the border with Mexico, while US authorities let in only ninety people. This means that there is now a backlog of about 4,500 Haitian migrants."
One of these is Agne Jean who has been in Tijuana for a week. She says she came to "seek a better life" and she is accompanied by her five-year-old son.
Both Agne and Makena spend the night together with another 150 people, men, women and children of all ages, in the "Father Chava Salesian Refectory". Located at 700 Avenida Ocampo, this building has recently changed its way of operating. At first it was attended on average by 80 Mexican and Central American migrants, but now it receives mainly Haitians. For Fr Felipe Fernández, Economer of the Salesian Community in Tijuana, this situation is "a humanitarian crisis that has awakened the will of society."
At seven in the evening they will close the doors of the refectory. Those who were able to enter are looking for food and a place to stay. Inside there are young people from the University Pacific Center (Unipac), who organize songs and dances. Other volunteers are preparing and serving food.
"We have given hospitality and help wherever we could," says Fr Plascencia, while acknowledging that the situation is not ideal. Some estimates suggest that by the end of the year the influx of Haitians should subside, but everything seems to indicate that the current trend could last up to nine months.
https://www.infoans.org/en/component/k2/item/1956-mexico-haitians-in-tijuana-we-have-given-hospitality-and-help-wherever-we-could#sigProIdb38e715cd3
