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Large Influx of Chinese Migrants Seek Asylum at U.S.-Mexico Border

Distribution of blankets in Los Angeles to Chinese migrants. After crossing the jungles of South America and Mexico, some who have obtained visas upon arrival in the U.S. are recruited by the CCP to persecute dissidents, according to Lie Lijian, an activist who helps migrants in Los Angeles. Many Chinese migrants come from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in search of better economic opportunities and fleeing regime repression. (Photo: AsiaNews)

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By Aakansha Malia

March 5, 2024
4:21 pm
Los Angeles, CA

The U.S.-Mexico border has always been infamous for illegal migrants trying to cross it, and the fastest-growing demographic among them is from a surprising place – China. According to the latest U.S. government statistics, the border patrol had more than 24,000 encounters with Chinese citizens at the southern border in 2023, exceeding the total encounters of the last ten years combined. In fact, the San Diego sector, particularly Jacumba, has seen an explosion of illegal Chinese migrants, with approximately 20,000 attempting to cross the border, according to Fox News, compared to only 450 in 2021. The coronavirus restrictions in China temporarily stemmed the exodus of migrants that occurred in 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping amended the constitution to scrap the presidential term limit. Now, with the Chinese economy

The coronavirus restrictions in China temporarily stemmed the exodus of migrants that occurred in 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping amended the constitution to scrap the presidential term limit. Now, with the Chinese economy struggling to rebound and youth unemployment reaching an all-time high, emigration numbers are witnessing a sharp increase as people seek to escape an increasingly repressive political climate and move abroad in search of a better life. This trend has been coined the ‘run philosophy,’ with citizens fleeing Japan, Europe, and the United States. The United Nations has projected that China will lose 310,000 people through emigration this year, compared with 120,000 in 2012. Cai Xia, editor-in-chief of the online commentary site Yibao and a former professor at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, said, ”This wave of emigration reflects despair toward China. They’ve lost hope for the future of the country.”

A large section of Chinese migrants who don’t apply for visas take the road and enter via Ecuador, which has no visa requirements for Chinese nationals. Then, they embark on a harrowing journey crossing several countries and modes of transportation, using social media as their guide. Like other illegal immigrants from South America, they pay smugglers to guide their desperate travel through the dangerous jungle between Colombia and Panama en route to the United States. Once there, they turn themselves into border officials, and many seek asylum. Many fly to Turkey before heading to Ecuador and making their way to the United States.

According to the New York Times, Chinese are most likely to have successful asylum claims in U.S. immigration courts, and if not, they often remain because China does not take them back. Visa holders and border crossers can request U.S. asylum upon arrival if they fear persecution at home. China is the least cooperative country in terms of repatriating its citizens, and U.S. law also cannot force countries to take back their own citizens. Based on a CBS review of data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at least 36,000 Chinese citizens have been ordered by U.S. courts to leave the country.

The national security aspect, particularly concerning Chinese migrants, is worrying for the U.S. government due to the vetting process of so many single males attempting to cross the Southern border. CBP stated in a statement that it works with inter-agency task forces to track ‘increasing migration and target transnational criminal organizations who are smuggling Chinese migrants, specifically.’ The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, has stated that social media and other online platforms have increased smugglers’ access to potential migrants, creating an environment ripe for manipulation, which the agency has tried to combat with social media campaigns.