Increasing numbers of children and adolescents from Yucatán are attempting to cross the Río Bravo

According to the Ministry of the Interior (Segob), the number of Yucatecan children and adolescents attempting to cross the border between Mexico and the United States is increasing, and in 2022 alone, the neighboring country deported 22 minors, 68.18% of whom were traveling unaccompanied by a family member.

The municipalities of the origin of most of these children and adolescents are Tunkás, Oxkutzcab, Muna, Akil, Peto, Tzucacab, and Cenotillo. All these young people leave their families to go in search of the American Dream.

The director of the Institute for the Development of Maya Culture of the State of Yucatán (Indemaya), Eric Villanueva Mukul, recently pointed out that to reduce this problem, the agency carries out orientation programs aimed at students in the municipalities with the highest migration rates, which are mainly in the south and east of the state.

According to the Monthly Bulletin of Migration Statistics, of the total number of Yucatecan children and adolescents returned in 2022, 18 were male, 81.82%, and four were female, 18.18%. The increase is 37.5% over the 2021 total, when 16 cases were reported.

Last year, 24,956 cases of “Events of return of Mexican children or adolescents from the United States” were registered throughout the country. The increase with respect to 2021 when 23,609 cases were reported was 5.71%.

Regarding “Return of Mexicans from the United States 2022“, in 13 years, the 22 cases for Yucatan, is the third highest figure. The maximum was in 2011, with a total of 28. In 2010 there were 27, and the lowest figure was recorded in 2018, with two cases.

Of the total number of cases returned in 2022, the ages of 19 of them were between 12 and 17 years old, 86.36% while three were minors up to 11 years old, 13.64% of the total.

In the item “Events of return of Mexican children or adolescents from the United States, by the state of origin, age groups, travel status and sex, 2022“, of the total number of minors, 15 were unaccompanied, of which one was female, with an age of up to 11 years old.

Of the total number of minors, 19 were over 12 years old and three were up to 11 years old, of which one was male and two were female. Of the 15 infants traveling alone, 14 were male and one female.

TYT Newsroom