On Friday, the Mexican government expelled 55 Haitian migrants from the international airport of Tapachula (far south-eastern state of Chiapas) on board a Boeing 739-300, registered XA-VDD, under the custody of a around twenty agents from the National Institute of Migration (INM). During the return process to their country of origin, the authorities ensured compliance with health measures for the Coronavirus, the INM said.
Activist Wilner Metelus, President of the Citizens Committee for the Defense of Naturalized and Afro-Mexicans, originally from Haiti, naturalized Mexican, denounced these expulsions, stressing that the majority of Haitians had submitted a refugee application to the Commission Mexican Refugee Aid (COMAR). He declared that "[...] the expulsion of Haitian migrants in the midst of a pandemic is a crime and a disgrace [...]" adding "It is a pity that the Mexican Government is doing the dirty work for President Donald Trump."
For its part, the INM indicated that these Haitian migrants had been at the southern border of Mexico for several months and that they had not been able to comply with various requirements to obtain some form of regularization.
It should be remembered that since the beginning of the year the INM has expelled 28,722 foreigners who entered the country illegally, 48% of whom were expelled from Chiapas. Of this total 282 Haitians were expelled this year (source INM).
