Some
migrants broke through Guatemalan border fences but then clashed with Mexican
riot police in no man's land.
On Friday,
US President Donald Trump thanked Mexico for holding back the migrants from
crossing into the US.
The migrants,
mostly from Honduras, say they are fleeing violence and poverty, and include
women and children.
President
Trump, who has threatened to close down the US border, said the military would
be called upon if needed.
"They
might as well turn back, they're not coming into this country," he told
reporters on Friday.
After talks
on border security in Mexico, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the situation
was reaching "a moment of crisis".
What
happened on the border?
Hundreds of
Central American migrants broke through barriers on a bridge which crosses the
river border between Guatemala and Mexico.
Dozens of
Mexican police in riot gear reportedly fired tear gas to force them to retreat
into no-man's land after being attacked with stones.
A number of
migrants jumped into the Suchiate river to reach rafts, while others either
turned back towards Guatemala or simply sat down on the bridge.
The Mexican
authorities have told migrants, who include women, children and old people,
they want an orderly process and only those with valid documents will be
allowed in.
On Thursday,
Mr Trump thanked Mexico in a tweet for the decision to send hundreds of police
officers to meet the migrant caravan at the border.
Mr Trump has
also threatened to cut aid to countries allowing the caravan to pass.
Why is Trump
concerned?
Since his
campaign days, Mr Trump has lambasted illegal immigrants, and this latest
caravan comes after a major immigration crackdown.
Changes to
detention rules saw thousands of migrant children detained and separated from
their parents at the US-Mexico border earlier this year, sparking national and
international condemnation.
Mr Trump's
threats come weeks before the mid-term elections on 6 November, which could see
Democrats unseating Republicans in the House of Representatives.
According to
a Kaiser Foundation poll, immigration is the most important issue for 15% of
all voters, though the number jumps to 25% among Republican voters.
Could Trump
close the US-Mexican border?
....In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!..— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018
While Mr
Trump has sent National Guard troops to the border before, it is unclear what
he means by shutting it down entirely, and whether that would affect businesses
or people with legitimate visas.
And
according to international law, the US cannot deport asylum seekers without
first determining the validity of their claim.
Andrew Selee
of the Migration Policy Institute told the Media that closing the border
"would wreak havoc on Mexican and American economies".
"It
could be a symbolic effort," he adds. "A way of pressuring Mexico -
but that would have a limited effect on illegal crossings and a huge effect on
legal crossings."
Where is the
caravan now?
The migrant
caravan is currently in Guatemala, in the border town Tecún Umán, though some
in the group have already crossed into Mexico.
Their
journey of nearly 2,800 miles (4,500km) - mostly on foot - began in San Pedro
Sula, Honduras, last Friday.
What will
happen to the people?
Mexican
officials have said that those without papers would have to apply for refugee
status or turn back.
The
Associated Press news agency says many migrants do not have passports and have
been using national ID cards, which allow them to travel within Central
America. Mexico, however, requires a passport at entry.
Human rights
groups have criticised the US and Mexican response to the caravan.
Erika
Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International said in a statement: "These
families deserve dignity and respect to ensure that no-one is illegally
returned to situations where they could risk serious harm due to
violence."
Mexican
President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to offer work visas to
Central Americans when he takes office in December.
Mr Selee
said Mexico would "try to defuse the crisis" the same way they did
with the last migrant caravan: by giving some people legal status or the chance
to apply for asylum and deporting others.Why are they leaving?
An estimated
10% of the population of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras have fled danger,
forced gang recruitment and dismal economic opportunities.
The region
has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The UN reported murder rates
in 2015 in Honduras standing at 63.75 deaths per 100,000 and El Salvador at
108.64 deaths.
Jari Dixon,
an opposition politician in Honduras, tweeted on Monday that the caravan was
not "seeking the American dream" but "fleeing the Honduras
nightmare".
In a
statement on Tuesday, Honduras' foreign ministry urged its citizens to
"not let themselves be used by a movement that is clearly political and
seeks to disrupt the governability, stability and peace".
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