No shelter for migrants

No shelter for migrants

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Hundreds of Central American migrants on their way to the United States are now forced to sleep out in the open air due to the closure of the San Juan Diego shelter. The fate of the shelter is an illustration of the harassment experienced by refuges - yet another obstacle faced by the migrants on their difficult journey through Mexico.

Abandoned clothing lies on a train track.

. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Central America wait in line to be registered at a temporary shelter.

"The shelters stand between the immigrants and the interests of those who want to benefit from them," said Jorge Andrade, a member of the local non governmental organization (NGO) Ustedes Somos Nosotros (You Are Us). "Because of their vulnerability, they are easy prey for criminals."

The NGO used to support the Casa del Migrante San Juan Diego, a shelter in Lecheria that was closed in July, 2012 by church authorities because of complaints by neighbours who said the migrants had become disruptive to the neighbourhood and were contributing to insecurity in the area, which is located along the train tracks that many migrants use to travel north.

. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

An illegal migrant couple from Honduras kiss before being transferred to a new shelter.

A group of migrants living at a temporary shelter under a bridge near the suburban train station, was evicted and relocated to a new shelter in Huehuetoca, 21 miles (34 km) north of Tultitlan, after neighbourhood organizations asked authorities to close it.

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Slideshow

Migrants from Central America wait outside a temporary migrants' shelter.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Central America wait outside a temporary migrants' shelter.

Migrants from Central America stand outside a temporary migrants' shelter.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Central America stand outside a temporary migrants' shelter.

Migrants from Honduras watch a freight train pass as they wait outside a temporary migrants' shelter.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Honduras watch a freight train pass as they wait outside a temporary migrants' shelter.

Migrants from Honduras watch a freight train pass.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Honduras watch a freight train pass.

Migrants from Central America try to grab a slice of watermelon distributed by a Catholic church volunteer at a temporary migrants' shelter.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Central America try to grab a slice of watermelon distributed by a Catholic church volunteer at a temporary migrants' shelter.

A migrant from Honduras puts down his bag as he waits along with others to be taken to an immigration office, after asking to be repatriated to their countries.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

A migrant from Honduras puts down his bag as he waits along with others to be taken to an immigration office, after asking to be repatriated to their countries.

Migrants from Central America walk down a pedestrian bridge near a temporary migrants' shelter.
. TULTITLAN, Mexico. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

Migrants from Central America walk down a pedestrian bridge near a temporary migrants' shelter.

An illegal migrant from Honduras shows her wounded feet after walking for 19 days.
. Huehuetoca, Mexico. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

An illegal migrant from Honduras shows her wounded feet after walking for 19 days.

Illegal migrants rest before being transferred to a new shelter in Tultitlan.
. Tutitlan, Mexico. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

Illegal migrants rest before being transferred to a new shelter in Tultitlan.