Mexican authorities investigate death of eight Chinese migrants

Tapachula, on the border with Guatemala, is where many migrants hoping to get to the United States depart

By Reuters
April 01, 2024
A Border Vets volunteer holds a Chinese Passport found at the US-Mexico border. — AFP/File
A Border Vets volunteer holds a Chinese Passport found at the US-Mexico border. — AFP/File

MEXICO CITY: A boat carrying Chinese migrants capsized off the coast of the Mexican southern state of Oaxaca, killing eight migrants, and Mexican authorities said over the weekend that they were investigating the incident.

The boat capsized on Friday, and Oaxacan state officials said in a statement posted on X on Saturday that the only survivor, a man, had said the boat was steered by a Mexican and that they had left the border city of Tapachula in Chiapas state on Thursday.

Tapachula, on the border with Guatemala, is where many migrants hoping to get to the United States depart.

The difficulty of obtaining visas for the United States and the economic after-shocks of Covid lockdowns have led to a sharp increase in Chinese presenting at the US-Mexico border.

The other migrants on the boat, seven women and one man from China, all died, the statement said, adding that they have not been officially identified.