The number of African migrants who arrived in Mexico last year was nine times higher than the year before, according to official statistics.
Figures released by Mexico’s Interior Department at the weekend show that almost 60,000 migrants arrived from Africa in 2023 – a huge jump from the previous year when 6,500 made the journey.
Dana Graber Ladek, head of mission at the UN’s International Organisation of Migration in Mexico, told that most of these migrants come from Guinea, Angola, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon.
She added that many migrants pay smugglers to facilate their journey to Mexico, and the trip can cost from around $10,000 to $20,000.