CIUDAD JUAREZ/MEXICO CITY – Migrants on Mexico’s northern border on Wednesday began entering the USA using a mobile app designed to facilitate the means of applying for asylum, although several quickly reported difficulties in using the system.
This month, the Biden administration said it might broaden use of the so-called CBP One app to permit asylum seekers to enter their personal information as a pre-screening step for a U.S. appointment to request asylum.
“I’m really excited, I can’t wait to see my family,” said Alejandra, a Venezuelan migrant who entered El Paso, Texas from the border city of Ciudad Juarez, headed for Florida.
Giovanny Castellanos, one other Venezuelan who has been waiting on the Mexican border for months to enter the USA, said he got an appointment quickly.
Castellanos, who spoke as he was lining as much as enter Laredo, Texas, from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, really useful migrants avoid taking risks to cross and to make use of the app as a substitute.
Because it was activated for pre-screening last week, the app has been in such demand that it’s telling applicants it has run out of appointments, in keeping with Mexican officials and a dozen migrants, a few of whom shared phone screenshots with Reuters.
To receive a U.S. appointment, migrants first must go to a border entry point in Mexico determined by the app. Some migrants told Reuters the app only had appointments removed from where they currently are.
Jose Huerta, a Venezuelan migrant within the border city of Ciudad Juarez, told Reuters the app said he could cross for his appointment from Tijuana, a city some 746 miles to the west opposite San Diego.
“I don’t have money, now I even have to walk,” he said.
Traveling between border cities could expose more people to danger, and a few migrant advocacy groups want the USA to offer more appointments to asylum-seekers to scale back risks.
“They should increase the variety of appointments per day, we’re confident this can be the case,” said Enrique Lucero, director of migration affairs in Tijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment from Reuters concerning the app.
CIUDAD JUAREZ/MEXICO CITY – Migrants on Mexico’s northern border on Wednesday began entering the USA using a mobile app designed to facilitate the means of applying for asylum, although several quickly reported difficulties in using the system.
This month, the Biden administration said it might broaden use of the so-called CBP One app to permit asylum seekers to enter their personal information as a pre-screening step for a U.S. appointment to request asylum.
“I’m really excited, I can’t wait to see my family,” said Alejandra, a Venezuelan migrant who entered El Paso, Texas from the border city of Ciudad Juarez, headed for Florida.
Giovanny Castellanos, one other Venezuelan who has been waiting on the Mexican border for months to enter the USA, said he got an appointment quickly.
Castellanos, who spoke as he was lining as much as enter Laredo, Texas, from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, really useful migrants avoid taking risks to cross and to make use of the app as a substitute.
Because it was activated for pre-screening last week, the app has been in such demand that it’s telling applicants it has run out of appointments, in keeping with Mexican officials and a dozen migrants, a few of whom shared phone screenshots with Reuters.
To receive a U.S. appointment, migrants first must go to a border entry point in Mexico determined by the app. Some migrants told Reuters the app only had appointments removed from where they currently are.
Jose Huerta, a Venezuelan migrant within the border city of Ciudad Juarez, told Reuters the app said he could cross for his appointment from Tijuana, a city some 746 miles to the west opposite San Diego.
“I don’t have money, now I even have to walk,” he said.
Traveling between border cities could expose more people to danger, and a few migrant advocacy groups want the USA to offer more appointments to asylum-seekers to scale back risks.
“They should increase the variety of appointments per day, we’re confident this can be the case,” said Enrique Lucero, director of migration affairs in Tijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment from Reuters concerning the app.
