Mexico: Travelers from 177 nations crossed country toward US

Migrants walk into the US beside the US-Mexico border wall at Jacumba Hot Springs, California, on June 5, 2024. Migrants from countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Guatemala, Nicaragua, China and India made their way on foot into the United States today before being met with by Customs and Border Patrol agents for processing. The United States will temporarily close its Mexico border to asylum seekers from June 5, as President Joe Biden tries to neutralize his political weakness on migration ahead of November’s election battle with Donald Trump. Agence France-Presse

MEXICO CITY — Around 1.39 million people from 177 countries traveled through Mexico so far this year trying to reach the United States without entry papers, the Mexican government said Sunday.

The vast majority were men or women traveling alone, while almost 3,000 were unaccompanied minors, the National Migration Institute said, providing figures for January through the end of May.

The figure of 177 countries of origin represents almost the whole world — the United Nations has 193 member states.

READ: At mercy of cartels, thousands of Mexicans seek refuge in US

By country, the largest number of would-be migrants at nearly 380,000 came from Venezuela, which has endured severe economic hardship for years, followed by Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Haiti, all of which are hard hit by gang and drug-trafficking violence.

Others attempting the dangerous trek through Mexico in search of a better life in the United States came from as far afield as China, India, Mauritania and Angola, the institute said.

READ: Mexico to boost measures aimed at curbing migration to US

In 2023 alone more than 2.4 million people crossed the US-Mexico border without the required documentation, according to US figures.

The flow hit a record of 10,000 people per day in December although it has fallen as both countries cracked down on such crossings.