Topline
Customs and Border Protection encountered 3,274 Ukrainian citizens at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, a twelvefold increase since February, the agency said Monday—as the U.S. prepares to contend with a flood of visa applications from people fleeing Russian aggression.
A camp of Ukrainians seeking for asylum in the United States, on the Mexican side of the San Ysidro … [+]
Key Facts
About 61.9% of the Ukrainian citizens counted by CBP in March traveled to the southern border with a family member, 37.4% were single adults and 0.6% were unaccompanied minors, roughly consistent with the demographics of Ukrainian migrants who have been arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border since the beginning of the year.
At the beginning of April, the Mexican border community of Tijuana was struggling to host around 1,500 Ukrainian citizens, with more arriving every day, CNN reported.
The deluge of Ukrainian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border has strained the capacity of border processing agencies, who are also anticipating an uptick in migrants from Central America when Title 42—a rule that allows border agents to summarily expel most adult migrants who enter the country illegally—ends May 23.
Even before the end of Title 42, CBP border authorities have been instructed to consider exempting Ukrainians from the Trump-era public health rule, CBS News reported last month.
Contra
Ukrainian citizens still made up a very small portion of the roughly 220,000 total people encountered by CBP in March, a more than 33% jump from February. Most people who sought to cross the U.S.-Mexico border last month were citizens of Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala.
Key Background
The U.S. has committed to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says Ukrainians at the U.S.-Mexico border will be considered for “humanitarian parole,” which grants special protection to people fleeing persecution based on race, religion or nationality. Since the Russian invasion began in February, numerous Ukrainians have fled to Mexico—which they can enter without a visa—and traveled to the country’s northern border, hoping to be swiftly processed by U.S. officials, the New York Times reported. The Times also reported that Honduran migrants at the border haven’t received the same food, shelter and other assistance granted to Ukrainians. Mayorkas, however, told CBS there will not be a double-standard placing Ukrainian migrants over Central American migrants when it comes to humanitarian Title 42 exemptions.
Big Number
4.93 million. That’s how many refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia commenced its invasion on February 24, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Further Reading
“Nearly 3,000 Ukrainians Crossed U.S.-Mexico Border Last Week, DHS Chief Says” (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/04/18/over-3000-ukrainians-encountered-at-us-mexico-border-in-march-amid-migration-surge/