Kidnappings, Abuses and Murders: The WhatsApp Reports Whatsapp Migrants to Mexico

From this Tuesday, the migrants that transit through Central America and Mexico began to receive WhatsApp messages to prevent the intrinsic risks of their journey, the International Committee of the United Nations the Red Cross (ICRC).

This for "decrease the vulnerability of thousands of people every year, they migrate to the region, "the agency said in an information bulletin.

As explained Jesús Serrano, Regional Coordinator of ICRC Communication for Mexico and Central America, this type of message "is a success" and "has spread by the thousands in the past four years in print and radio capsules"

"However, every time more people use WhatsApp on the migratory routeswe have digitized them and we will make them known by this platform, "he explained.

The material will be broadcast through WhatsApp messages and shared with hostels and NGOs with which the ICRC collaborates along migratory routesas well as through the National Red Cross Societies.

"Digital messages will be added to others 50,000 printed messages that we plan to deliver to people migrants in 2019"said the ICRC official.

He felt that with the use of WhatsApp, one can "provide a more personalized badistance to migrants before the humanitarian needs that face a certain situation on the road ".

In 2015, this region became the first in the world where the ICRC started broadcasting messages care of migrants.

"The messages are concrete recommendations with which it is intended to prevent accidents, diseases, loss of family contact, among others, and so on. reduce the vulnerability of people on the routes", the organization said in a newsletter.

In 2018, with increasing penetration of Internet services in the region and with the pbadage of thousands of migrants in caravans in Central America and Mexico, the ICRC has detected an increased need to reach migrants and their communities of origin through digitized messages.

Since mid-October 2018, thousands of migrants, mainly Hondurans and Salvadoransthey started a group exodus to feel safer, provoking diplomatic clashes between different nations.

Thousands of undocumented migrants cross the Mexican territory every year towards the United States, but during the crossing they are exposed to theft, extortion, kidnapping and even murder by criminal gangs, as well as abuses by corrupt authorities.