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Numerous people are waiting for a meal at the border crossing from Tijuana, Mexico to the US city of San Diego
Photo:
Stringer / dpa
After changing the direction of migration policy, the US government has allowed an initial group of asylum seekers into the country.
A total of 25 people crossed the border from Tijuana, Mexico to the US city of San Diego on Friday, as an official from the Mexican immigration authority INM confirmed to the dpa news agency on site.
In the coming days, more refugees with ongoing asylum procedures are expected to come to the United States for their court hearings and remain in the United States for the duration of their trials.
The new administration of US President Joe Biden is breaking with the restrictive immigration policy of predecessor Donald Trump.
So far, asylum seekers in Mexico have had to wait for a decision on their applications.
The previous President Donald Trump had introduced the rule under the motto “Remain in Mexico” two years ago.
As part of the program, around 70,000 mostly Central American asylum seekers were sent back to Mexico after entering the USA, where they were supposed to wait for the outcome of their asylum procedures.
As a result, some people lived in tent camps south of the US border for over a year.
The procedure triggered a humanitarian crisis on the US-Mexico border, which was exacerbated by the corona pandemic.
Given their situation, some asylum seekers tried to cross the border illegally, including with the help of people smugglers.
Biden has since abolished the program and wants to break new ground in accepting refugees.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, around 25,000 people are currently still affected by the previous policy.
At first there was confusion
Migrants with pending proceedings should register on the Internet from the beginning of next week, they will then be informed about the time and place of their possible border crossing.
On Friday, however, there was initially confusion about the procedure.
Between 150 and 200 people came to the El Chaparral border crossing between Tijuana and San Diego and hoped to enter the USA.
At least some had not yet applied for asylum in the United States and thus had no chance of entry.
“People got hope and came here.
We heard that they were opening the borders and granting asylum, «said Josué Bentancour Ochoa of the dpa.
However, the 17-year-old Honduran has no ongoing proceedings in the United States and therefore no chance of admission.
Most of the migrants come from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
The Central American states are among the most dangerous countries in the world.
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