Currents News Staff
More than seven thousand, mostly Central American migrants, continued their march north towards the U.S. border Monday, saying they are seeking safety and better economic opportunities.
“Our message is, ‘We’re not criminals, we’re coming here because we want to work. We need a job, we need, you know, a better life.’ That’s why we’re here,” said Orlin Herrera, a Honduran migrant.
That is on top of some 3,000 Hondurans who have already quit the caravan and returned home
And the more than one thousand who stopped their journey in Mexico. Claiming refugee status there with the help of the U.N.’s refugee agency.
“Numbers will increase in the coming days to address and ensure adequate protection of information on the asylum system to members of the caravan,” said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
But most say they plan to continue their slow march to the U.S., a more than 2,000 mile journey on foot.
President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment that the caravan has not yet been stopped, saying, “Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. we will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them.”
Most of money the U.S. has promised to those countries for this year has already been spent.
The scheduled 2019 foreign aid packages from the U.S. to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador add up to more than $180-million.