More than 31,000 Chinese entered the U.S. illegally last year.
Attempting to enter the US via Thailand-Morocco-Spain-Mexico
Going through Ecuador… Rush to escape despite gun and robbery threats
Zheng Shiqing, a 28-year-old young man, left his home country, China, passed through a dense jungle and crossed a river. It was to live. He traveled through Thailand, Morocco and Spain before arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, CNN reported.
According to CNN on the 8th (local time), the number of Chinese illegally entering the United States from Mexico last year, like Zheng Si-qing, increased more than 20 times the average over the past 10 years.
Citing U.S. government statistics, CNN reported that between January and November of last year, more than 31,000 Chinese nationals were arrested while attempting to illegally enter the United States from Mexico. Compared to the average of about 1,500 Chinese people arrested for illegal entry each year over the past 10 years, this is a more than 20-fold increase.
Among South American countries, CNN reported, “Ecuador in particular has become a gateway to escape from China.”
According to CNN, there were about 13,000 Chinese nationals who entered Ecuador in 2022. From January to November last year, that number increased to about 45,000.
As the number of Chinese entering the United States illegally increased, related businesses also emerged. CNN reported that business has diversified, from airport pick-ups to accommodations, and the network of social media accounts has also increased.
What is the reason for the increase in Chinese illegal immigration? CNN cited youth unemployment and strict Communist Party control as the reasons.
CNN reported that Zheng Si-qing, who is from rural Yunnan Province, said, “Despite the decades of rapid economic growth that has lifted a significant portion of the population out of poverty, life has become more difficult for people like me.”
Zheng Si-qing, who started working at the factory in his late teens, told CNN, “Survival is really difficult for ordinary people. “Don’t even think about making money because you will be exploited by those (upper class) people,” he said.
CNN also reported, “Three years of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions have left Chinese people unemployed and disillusioned with the ruling Communist Party’s increasingly strict controls over all aspects of life.”
CNN reported that some immigrants from China were Christians. This is because the Chinese Communist Party has strengthened its control not only over the media but also over religion.
CNN analyzed the latest law enforcement data on border encounters and found that “Chinese are currently expected to be the fastest growing group of people attempting to enter the country illegally.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to CNN that it “opposes and resolutely cracks down on all forms of illegal immigration activities.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.