By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission has identified 71 cities in 16 states that are considered dangerous for migrants headed to the US.
“Kidnappings, abuse, extortion, robberies and sexual attacks on migrants have been documented” in the 71 cities, the commission said in a statement.
An estimated 300,000 Central Americans and 400,000 Mexicans undertake the journey across Mexico each year on their way to the US.
About 20,000 Central Americans were kidnapped last year by organised crime groups, which extorted money from them or forced them to join their gangs.
Those who refuse to pay for their freedom or join the gangs are killed, as was the case with 72 Central American migrants whose bodies were found at a ranch outside San Fernando city in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, the commission said.
San Fernando, where bodies of 145 people were found this month in mass graves, is one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico for migrants, it said.
The majority of these “dangerous” places are close to the train route that migrants use on their journey through Mexico to the US.
The danger zones were identified based on testimonies of migrants, analysis and information provided by authorities to the commission.