Tijuana, Mexico, Jan 12, 2017 / 00:08 am
The shelters in Tijuana that care for the migrant population are now in a state of emergency, severely overcrowded due to the arrival of thousands of Haitians seeking refuge in the United States.
According to the director of Migrant Care of Tijuana, César Aníbal, there are 3,200 foreign migrants in these 28 shelters, and the majority come from Haiti. Located across the US-Mexico border from San Diego, Tijuana is a destination for those seeking entry to the United States.
In an interview with Agenzia Info Salesiana, Fr. Leonardo Martínez, in charge of the Salesian "Padre Chava" shelter, a center with 88 beds and a communal kitchen, said what is urgently needed is "a space to put thousands of people because more are going to continue to come."
"All the shelters are overwhelmed, so there are times when some people sleep outside in the open," he said.