NEWS

In Tijuana, they reopen the PedWest border crossing to give refuge to Ukrainians

-The city council reported that 2,300 migrants are waiting to be assisted by US authorities

By: Said Betanzos / Milenio News

The border crossing from Tijuana to San Ysidro, California, known as PedWest, reopened its doors after two years and a month, for the entry of Ukrainians requesting asylum from the United States government.

Starting on the morning of Wednesday, April 6, personnel from the National Migration Institute (INM) reopened the doors for the exclusive use of foreigners; women, children and men were transported in buses to the said border port.

The Ukrainians are picked up at the facilities of the Benito Juarez Sports Unit, which was set up as a shelter by the Tijuana City Council and the Baja California state government.

Three weeks ago the arrival of migrants from Eastern Europe began, as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

For his part, he anticipates that more than 250 migrants will enter through the PedWest per day. However, it is not yet known if it will be the beginning of the opening for the daily crossing to the neighboring country.

Let us remember that access to any citizen is still restricted by a border port known as ‘El Chaparral’, closed as a result of the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

It should be noted that the state delegate for Baja California Development Programs, Jesús Alejandro Ruiz Uribe, calculated that “more or less 2,000 Ukrainians” have arrived in Tijuana, but because their crossing to the United States is fast, there remains a minority in the city.

“There are more than 3 million expelled Ukrainians, who have been going to Europe, there, they have been opening doors to them as they do not open them to Africans, because there is a clear message that the OTAN member countries want to send of moral criticism towards the Putin government, then they are receiving practically everyone”, he added at a press conference, on April 5, 2022.