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Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
There are 206 refugees found by the authorities here in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez.
They come from Central America.
They locked human traffickers in rooms like this against their will.
Raul Avila, Secretariat for Public Security
»They were crammed into tiny wooden huts and lived here in inhumane conditions. The rooms were completely overcrowded. And the heat in town was made worse by the body heat of the dehydrated people. Fortunately, we were able to save the people. We'll take care of them now. "
For the refugees it means: They were freed from the hands of the so-called "coyotes", the people smugglers.
But their fate is now in the hands of the Mexican authorities.
Edwin, refugee from Guatemala
»I am frustrated because we have come through such a difficult road to get to our destination. And sadly we didn't make it. We do not know what is happening to us now. It is in God's hands - we hope that he continues to protect us. "
Initially, people in Ciudad Juárez will wait for the next steps.
The Mexican border town is notorious for its high crime rate.
And the place is getting tight: the US border police deport around 100 illegal immigrants here every day.
US President Joe Biden instructed Vice President Kamala Harris to find a solution to the refugee problem.
And Harris became clear in Guatemala:
Guatemala City, Guatemala - June 7, 2021
Kamala Harris, US Vice President
“I want to make it very clear to people in this region who are considering taking the dangerous journey to the US-Mexico border: don't come. Don't come. "
The number of refugees is currently skyrocketing on the southern border of the USA: In May, US authorities registered 180,034 illegal crossings - more than in 20 years.