Cuban migrants stranded in Tapachula, Mexico, awaiting resolution of an immigration case reported abuses in rent collection by the city’s landlords.
Cubans report being charged $150 per person and having up to 10 or more people crammed into one room, local Chiapas state media outlet Diario del Sur reported.
In addition, landlords who charge at least $120 require a monthly upfront payment, even though many Cubans stay in the city for shorter periods of time.
A Cuban migrant named Mari Carmen complained about what she said was abuse by the tenants of her homes in Tapachula, but they have no choice since, in her case, she is traveling with her husband and two daughters.
“The expenses we incur on rent are too high and suddenly we are faced with the dilemma of paying rent or buying food since it is difficult for them to find work here because they are undocumented,” said he.
Another Cuban, Alexander Camacho, assures that the houses do not have the necessary conditions for a comfortable life, they are small and the only thing they have are beds so that they can lie down.
He also noted that many Cubans sleep on the streets of Tapachula because they don’t have the money to pay the high rental prices.
“People are taking advantage of the hardship we Cubans have and charging us very high prices. It seems that everyone in Tapachula is okay with charging us the same,” he explained.
Odalys Gutiérrez, a third Cuban migrant interviewed by Diario del Sur, says they are tired of people mistreating them and overcharging them for room rent.
Gutiérrez assures that families of up to 10 Cubans live in a house and they charge about 150 to 120 dollars per person.
“I think there should be an authority to regulate house rental prices in Tapachula for migrants because people charge too much and do not provide adequate services as there is always a lack of water and internet,” he concluded.
Previously Cuban migrants have demanded fair treatment in this border town with Guatemala, where they claim they want to charge them double for their basic needs: rent, bus tickets and food.
Last Friday it was revealed that after several days of crisis and without receiving a response to their complaints, MThousands of Cubans stranded in Tapachula announced that the caravan would depart for the southern border of the United States.
The Cubans announced that they would set out this Monday morning in a caravan of six thousand people, with Venezuelans, Haitians and Hondurans joining the group.
The decision came after authorities at the National Immigration Institute of Mexico (INM) refused to respond to their request to issue a document allowing them to continue their journey to the US border in the north of the country.
Likewise, after Mexico suspended flight permits to the border for Cubans with appointments through CBP One, an application through which they received interviews to seek political asylum.
About 20,000 Cubans are stranded in Tapachula as the Caribbean island’s migration crisis flares up again.