Migrants in Mexico clash against authorities in Tapachula

Dozens of migrants clashed with Mexican authorities on Tuesday in Tapachula, a city near the border with Guatemala, as many wait for the government to process visa applications or grant them approval to make their way to the U.S. border safely.

During the clashes, around 100 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, and Africa threw stones, sticks, punches at Mexico’s National Guard troops and police, reported the National Migration Institute (INM). The migrants also burned trash and created a roadblock for several hours.

“It got completely out of control because people are very desperate," Irineo Mujica, a human rights activist, told Reuters. "Many have been waiting for months."

The migrants have been stuck at the border city for more than a month as they wait for the U.S. and Mexico to approve their asylum and visa requests or grant them permission to cross Mexico.

The clashes on Tuesday began when migrants blocked the entrances to Tapachula’s immigration offices, demanding appointments to process their immigration status. The confrontation erupted when officers and National Guard troops tried to remove the migrants from the building, reported The Associated Press.

"People of Cuban, Haitian, and African origin refuse to wait their turn to regularize their stay," said a statement by INM.

Earlier this month, migrants from Haiti and other parts of Latin America protested in front of Tapachula’s INM to demand documents that would allow their safe passage to the U.S. border.

On February 11, officials from the United Nations urged Mexico to find alternatives to detention and asylum for migrants after the country registered a record-breaking number of asylum applications.

Tapachula hosts the largest migrant detention center in Latin America.