The costs of illegal migration went from $ 15,000 to $ 30,000 since Mexico requests a visa.
From September 4, 2021, Mexico ask for a visa to ecuadorians who seek to reach their territory. The coyoteros have taken advantage of this measure to charge up to $ 30,000 to the migrants who seek to cross into the United States, illegally.
Until July 2021, it was known that a trip it cost $ 20,000. But that is not the only cost for those who travel up to 45 days to reach the United States, even if it is not safe to do so.
The Vice Minister of Human Mobility, Luis Vayas, visited the border area and explained that there are ‘extra’ costs that the coyoteros charge migrants. For example, they sell drugs (for 100 or 200 dollars) “some small pills so that their thirst goes away (…) that can reach the heart and be mortal, ”said Vayas.
They also sell them pieces of carpet to put on their shoes and thus not leave footprints, so that the immigration police do not follow them. They also sell cell phones and camouflage suits.
It is not only because of the economic crisis
Poverty is one of the main factors for people to make loans or sell their houses and land for risky migration.
Vayas stressed that 70% of risky migration comes from the provinces of Azuay and Cañar, which are not the poorest in the country. So another of the motivations for crossing the border is family unification. “Children who have spent many years with their grandparents, with their uncles and have their parents irregularly in the United States want to join them (…) as they are irregular, the parents obviously opt for risky migration to the children”.
During the National Human Mobility Table, in which the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry participated, it was learned that there are cases of minors who are placed with contraceptive implants so that they do not become pregnant as a result of the violations and abuses that their family members they know they will probably take place on the way.
As of October 2021, 413 minors seeking to cross the border returned to Ecuador.
7 out of 10 Ecuadorian migrants did not return in 2021
So far in 2021, 120,000 Ecuadorians have traveled to Mexico and only 35,000 have returned. This means that 7 out of 10 of those who left did not return.
To these data must be added, those who leave irregularly, having these data is also difficult because there are those who – according to Vayas – try to cross the border more than once, despite the cost it represents.
Another problem that has become evident is that those who manage to cross are contacted by the coyoteros to become ‘guides’ for new migrants.
Vayas highlighted that one of the strategies for diminish the risky migration it is to provide an alternative of regular and circular migration. “A group of Ecuadorians farmers go to work in Spain, temporarily, with all the guarantees of work ”, said the Vice Minister.
This is also how they work on scholarship programs with the United States, France and Australia. (AVV)
Ecuador is the fifth country that chooses to migrate to the United States from Mexico.
Mexico
Guatemala
Honduras
The Savior
Ecuador
Source: Ecuador Foreign Ministry
En lo que va de 2021, 17 ecuatorianos han desaparecido en la frontera de México y Estados Unidos.
Los coyoteros amenazan y extorsionan familias de migrantes si los denuncian.
En 2021 se han reportado 35 muertes de migrantes ecuatorianos en la frontera.
