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Asylum seekers in the USA: In the area around a bridge in Texas, a makeshift camp was set up within a few days
Photo: GO NAKAMURA / REUTERS
Hundreds of thousands of people from Latin America cross the border to the USA every year and seek asylum there.
The US authorities are increasingly overwhelmed by this.
A new hot spot threatens to emerge in the state of Texas.
Within a few days, a makeshift camp was built under a bridge near the municipality of Del Rio.
Thousands of people are now waiting there.
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As reported by the Reuters news agency, citing the Mayor of Del Rio, the number of asylum seekers in the area under and around the bridge has risen sharply within a few hours.
Accordingly, a good 8,200 people were in the camp on Thursday morning, and in the evening there were already more than 10,500.
The situation is dramatic, it is said in consistent media reports.
Accordingly, there is hardly enough food, and the water supply is also scarce.
In addition, there are high temperatures of around 37 degrees Celsius.
The bridge runs over the Rio Grande and connects the Texas community of Del Rio with the Mexican city of Ciudad Acuña.
In the past few days, people have been observed time and again as they wade through the water back to Mexico in order to get the essentials there.
Then they returned.
The border authority is apparently overwhelmed
The situation is a great challenge for the US authorities. As the New York Times reports, the border authorities are apparently unable to cope with the large number of new arrivals in the country.
Try to process the cases as quickly as possible.
In the coming days, however, the authorities expect thousands more border crossings.
The majority of those seeking protection come from Haiti, according to the reports, but many camp residents also come from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
According to their own statements, the border guards now want to increase the staff at the Rio Grande in order to enable a "safe, humane and orderly process".
Drinking water, towels and portable toilets were provided, the statement said.
Meanwhile, people are waiting to be transported to facilities for asylum seekers.
Criticism of Biden is growing
US President Joe Biden is coming under increasing pressure.
The Democrat had withdrawn many of his predecessor Donald Trump's rigid immigration regulations.
However, Biden has not yet found a solution for the growing number of immigrants from Latin America.
He is increasingly criticized by the Republicans for this.
His policies promote illegal migration, so the allegation.
And in Val Verde County, the area in which the municipality of Del Rio is located, displeasure with Biden is growing.
The county voted for Trump in the US election last year.
Many now feel abandoned by Biden.
"Are you doing anything to prevent them from coming?" One woman said, according to Reuters, asking the US government as she crossed the bridge and looked down at the camp.
As the "New York Times" reports, return flights to Haiti are to begin in the coming week.
With this, the US government hopes to signal to other Haitians that they shouldn't even try to cross the southern border into the US.
asc / Reuters
