Haitian migrants create micro-economy in Tapachula

Hundreds of Haitian migrants have created their own economy on the southern border of Mexico, as a way to survive while they wait for their legal processes to conclude and allow them to continue advancing towards the United States.

For months now, the central park of Tapachula has become a hive of people offering services and food at low cost.

Migrants also receive remittances from relatives abroad, which has had a direct impact on the local population.

Of the asylum applications received by the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees (Comar), from January to October, 14% come from Haitians.

For most migrants from Haiti, Chiapas is just one stop on the exodus they are going through.

On average, they wait up to three months for their procedures to progress and they can continue on their way north.

While the process is being carried out, they resort to selling water, phone chips or clothing to pay for the services they require in the city.

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