Despite US measures, Tijuana implements plan to care for refugees from Ukraine

Volunteers from Ukraine announced a care plan for refugees from their country who continue to arrive in the border city of Tijuana, in Baja California, after United States authorities announced the “United for Ukraine (U4U)” program, which will limit asylum-seekers by crosses of Mexico.

Vlad Fedoryshyn, volunteer in charge of coordinating the shelter where they receive Ukrainians, shared with the EFE agency that “it is a very good opportunity for them (refugees) that they can already cross directly from Europe”.

However, he stressed that this makes them look for options for those who continue to arrive in this city.

Fedoryshyn said that they believe that despite this measure there will be people who will continue to arrive after April 25, the day when the United States care program will come into effect, so they have already thought of a care plan so that these people can have access without limitations, so they requested two more weeks availability of the hostel in Tijuana.

The volunteer stressed that in this plan they will seek the direct participation of the United States consulate in Mexico, so that they can travel from Mexico City, since “several are on their way or are also in Cancun and will seek to reach Tijuana.”

“After April 25, Ukrainian people arriving in Tijuana are going to be transported to Mexico City so that from there they will be processed directly to the United States, through the program created by their authorities and with the collaboration of the consulate,” he explained.

According to the data collected by the volunteers, in about two months about 13,000 people have arrived in Tijuana and crossed into the United States from Ukraine among families, minors, couples and individuals.

Ukrainians consulted by EFE who preferred not to be identified shared that this program will undoubtedly improve things for their countrymen who decide to leave their country due to the Russian invasion, since they will not have to go through the entire journey they made until they reach Tijuana.

They also stressed that there will be people who may not know about this measure or do not understand what it is and will need some advice, so they hope that the program that the volunteers will start will be replicated by the authorities, at least until May 5, which is the date when the shelter on the Tijuana border will be totally closed.

In a statement shared by the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, it was reported that “Ukrainians who report directly to ports of entry or enter the United States between ports of entry without valid documents to enter and who have not gone through the U4U process will be returned to Mexico, where they will receive instructions on how to complete the U4U process.”

In addition, that “Ukrainian applicants for the U4U program will be responsible for their own transportation to Mexico City for processing”.

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