8 Chinese migrants en route to the US found dead on Mexico beach
By Ryan General
Mexican authorities are probing the tragic death of eight Chinese migrants whose boat capsized en route to the U.S.
Key points:
- On March 29, local officials found the bodies of seven women and one man on a beach in San Francisco del Mar, Oaxaca. The beach is often used by migrants entering the U.S. illegally.
- State officials said that a Chinese man was the lone survivor but did not say what happened to the boat’s operator.
- Mexican authorities and the Chinese embassy are working together to investigate the incident.
Catch up:
- Meixco granted 5,018 temporary visas to Chinese migrants in 2023 (up from 2,062 in 2021 and 2,471 in 2022). Over 20,000 Chinese migrants were apprehended this fiscal year by US Border Patrol, reflecting a surge of over 500%.
The details:
- The survivor stated that a Mexican national steered the boat, which departed from Tapachula, Chiapas. The area is known as a common departure point for U.S.-bound migrants.
- Southern Mexico, particularly Oaxaca, has witnessed a surge in Chinese migrants attempting to enter the U.S. Migrants often use dangerous boat journeys off Oaxaca to avoid checkpoints on established land routes into the U.S.
- A Chinese migrant recounted a similar experience with CNN in which their overloaded boat nearly capsized in the dangerous seas in 2022. The migrants attributed their entry to the U.S. via Mexico to visa difficulties and post-COVID economic struggles.
- The Chinese embassy is working with Mexican authorities to identify the victims and investigate the tragedy. On April 1, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson called for a full accounting of the incident.
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