[ad_1]
Lisbeth Diaz, Jose Luis Gonzalez
Ciudad Juarez/Mexico City (Reuters) – Migrants at the northern border of Mexico on Wednesday began entering the United States using a mobile app designed to ease the asylum application process, but have had problems using the system. Some were immediately reported to have
Earlier this month, the Biden administration said it would expand the use of the so-called CBP One app, allowing asylum seekers to enter personal information as a pre-screening step for US asylum applications.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to meet my family,” said Alejandra, a Venezuelan immigrant. Alejandra entered El Paso, Texas from the border city of Ciudad Juarez and headed for Florida.
Another Venezuelan, Giovanni Castellanos, who had waited months at the Mexican border to enter the United States, said he got an appointment quickly.
Speaking while lining up to enter Laredo, Texas, from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Castellanos recommended that migrants avoid risking the crossing and use an app instead.
Mexican officials and a dozen migrants say the app has been in high demand since it was activated for pre-screening last week, telling applicants that they are running out of reservations.
To get an appointment in the US, migrants must first go to a Mexican border entry point determined by the app. Some migrants told Reuters that the app only had reservations far away from their current location.
Jose Huerta, a Venezuelan immigrant living in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, told Reuters the app said he could travel from Tijuana, a city about 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) west of San Diego.
“I have no money. Now I have to walk,” he said.
Traveling between bordering cities could put more people at risk, and some immigration advocacy groups say the U.S. should offer more reservations to asylum seekers to reduce the risk. I hope
“They need to get more bookings per day, and we are confident they will,” said Enrique Lucero, Tijuana’s director of immigration affairs.
US Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the app.
(Reporting by José Luis González, Ciudad Juárez and Lizbeth Diaz, Mexico City; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson, Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)
[ad_2]
Source link
