Migrants at Mexico Border Demand Passage to the U.S.; Sew Mouth Shut in Protest

A dozen undocumented migrants sewed their mouths shut on Mexico's southern border Tuesday in an attempt to persuade the country's immigration authority to allow them to travel north and cross into the United States Border.

The migrants, largely from Central and South America, used needles and plastic threads to help each other seal their lips, allowing a little space to drink liquids. They use alcohol to wipe away the blood from the stitches, per Fox News.

During the demonstration, activist Irineo Mujica said the migrants' actions are a sign of protest.

Mujica hopes that the National Migration Institute can see that the migrants are bleeding and that "they are human beings."

Some were carrying their children when they staged the dramatic protest in Tapachula, located near the Guatemalan border.

Yorgelis Rivera, a Venezuelan, said that she is doing it for her daughter. Rivera has been waiting for a response from the agency for more than a month now, and told Reuters they "are like prisoners" there.

Thousands of migrants have been packed into the city of Tapachula for months, waiting for documents that will enable them to freely cross the nation.

Migration Agency Raised Concerns Over Protest

Mexico's Migration Agency (INM) released in a public statement that "it is worrying that these measures have been carried out with the consent and support of those who call themselves their representatives."

The protest intends to pressure "authorities on an attention already provided," the statement added.

The agency said it is continuing to respond to cases, emphasizing that vulnerable groups such as children, teenagers, pregnant women, crime victims, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly are given priority.

Every day, more than a hundred applicants arrive at their offices in the southern city, according to the agency.

In recent years, the amount of refugees entering Mexico to flee violence and poverty has increased.

U.N. Refugee Agency Urges Mexico To Find Alternatives

The United Nations Refugee Agency recently stated that Mexico should explore new aid programs amid a surge in the arrival of immigrants arriving in the country, many of them are Venezuelans, for whom a visa is now required.

According to the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance, Mexico registered a record of 131,448 asylum petitions last year, up by 87% from 2019, with the majority of the applicants being from Central America and Haiti.

Authorities expect the number will climb again this year as more people seek to leave the economic hardships brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Reuters, the UNHCR's Mexico representative, Giovanni Lepri, said Mexico should consider options that go beyond asylum, given the surge.

Obtaining legal status for asylum seekers, as well as work opportunities, could be among the alternatives, Lepri suggested.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: [DISTURBUNG IMAGES] Migrants Sew Their Lips Shut Demanding Travel Papers in Mexico - from RT