The images of two Ecuadorian girls released by coyoteros on the border between Mexico and the United States are part of the alarming numbers of unaccompanied minors who have been detained at the border crossings of the North American country.
In total, 32,745 Ecuadorian migrants have been detained in the first five months of 2021, which is abysmally different from the previous year’s figures, when 12,892 were registered, according to the United States Customs and Border Protection Office. In May alone there were 11,767 detainees.
In total, 22,338 are single adults, 1,515 unaccompanied minors and 8 accompanied minors, and 8,884 individuals in a family unit.
In this last category (in which they are children and adults) the number of arrests has increased dramatically. The figure was quintupled compared to the 12 months of 2020, when 1,974 were arrested, compared to the 9,582 detainees who have been until May 2021.
Regarding the number of unaccompanied minors, only between April and May they found 774. These figures also soared compared to the previous year, when there were, the highest month, 89 arrests.
The economic and health crisis, unemployment and the lack of protection policies have led to a new migratory wave of Ecuadorians.
May is the month with the most arrests of Ecuadorian migrants and it ranks fourth with more than 11,000 arrests, above El Salvador, which has more than 10,000 and Venezuela, more than 7,000.
Between March and May, Ecuador has a 110% increase in irregular migrants detained at US border crossings.
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