美国国家公共电台 NPR--A fire inside a detention center kills dozens of Central and South American migrants

A fire inside a detention¹ center kills dozens of Central and South American migrants

Transcript²

NPR'S A Martinez talks with Rafael Velásquez of the International Rescue Committee about a fire that killed 38 people at a Mexican migrant detention center near the Texas border.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Mexico's president says migrants who were scared of being deported³ set mattresses⁴ on fire at a Mexican detention center, where 38 people died. At least 28 others were badly injured in that fire in the town of Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. It's the latest in a series of tragedies for migrants from Central and South America who continue to stream toward Mexico's border with the U.S.

Rafael Velasquez is country director for Mexico at the International Rescue Committee. He joins us this morning from Mexico City. Rafael, what did you hear from your team about this particular facility and the migrants who were detained there?

RAFAEL VELASQUEZ: Good morning. For the last couple of weeks, what the team reports that they've seen in Ciudad Juarez is an increase in the number of people arriving to the city. This is mostly because of confusion over the changing norms, misinformation and also to access the new CVP (ph) app so that they could register for an for an interview process. But at the same time, they also report an increase in detentions⁵ by Mexican authorities. This has been happening in the streets. This has been happening in hotels. And worryingly, for us, this has been happening in civil society shelters, where we have seen the situations where, arbitrarily, refugees are being picked up by authorities as well.

MART?NEZ: I know the Biden administration has been very public in trying to get people not to show up - to not make that journey. But people are, clearly. Is any of this leading up to a buildup that is almost unsustainable there at the border?

VELASQUEZ: We carried out an assessment⁶ in various shelters throughout the border - in Tijuana, in Ciudad Juarez, in Matamoros - more than a year ago. And even then, we found that most of the shelters were already at capacity.

MART?NEZ: At - most at capacity - and also, I know that the Biden administration is relying on Mexico to house these people. I mean, is it getting to a point, Rafael, where something like this is bound to happen because of the amount of people and stresses that that area maybe can't support?

VELASQUEZ: The Mexico system is under-resourced and is completely strained. Just to give you an idea in terms of numbers, in 2018, Mexico received 18,000 asylum⁷ applications. And in 2022, it received over 118,000 applications. Meanwhile, the U.S. keeps putting on norms and regulations that push asylum-seekers back into Mexico. What that is inevitably⁸ going to do is it's going to push people into taking illegal pathways to seek asylum.

MART?NEZ: So what measures would you like to see in place to maybe better protect migrants who are approaching the border?

VELASQUEZ: There is a question of definitely political will on both sides of the border. There is a question of resourcing asylum systems. There's also an understanding - a better understanding of the crisis that we are facing - the migration⁹ crisis that we're facing in Mexico. My team in Mexico City is working with people who escaped the fall of Kabul, people who escape - currently escape the war in Ukraine. We are also helping¹⁰ people that are running away from violence and food insecurity in Central America and the implosion¹¹ of Haiti, or people who are escaping political pressure in other parts of Americas. I don't think the international community understands the depth of the migration crisis in Mexico. That needs to be resourced, and it needs to be supported not just from the Mexican government, but also from the international community.

MART?NEZ: But is it because Mexico is trying to work with the U.S. on this and maybe putting their needs below the U.S.'s needs on immigration?

VELASQUEZ: What I can tell you is that Mexico has historically been a country that has opened its arms to asylum-seekers in times of need. And unfortunately, over the last couple of years, what we've seen is that the systems are now past breaking point. What we saw yesterday - the horrible events of yesterday - was not the first time that that happened. It happened already in Tenosique in 2020, and we see no indication of why that wouldn't happen again unless there's that change both in political will and in resources from the international community.

MART?NEZ: Is it sometimes maybe a measure of just building more facilities? Is that something that's possible? Would that alleviate¹² pressure - just to have more places for people to go?

VELASQUEZ: Well, it's important to remember that what happened yesterday was happening at a detention center, which is not the same as a shelter. There are alternatives to detention. We work and encourage governments to look into those alternatives. What happened yesterday, again, was in a detention center in Mexico. To be in an irregular status in Mexico is not a crime. It's an administrative¹³ offense¹⁴. These people were detained over an administrative offense. They were not there because of breaking any laws.

MART?NEZ: Title 42 is going to expire in May. What do you think, Rafael, is going to happen once that order is lifted?

VELASQUEZ: So yes, there have been conversations about potentially ending Title 42, and there is the consideration for the asylum back. In fact, this week, the period for U.S. citizens to share their feedback to the administration and ask them to withdraw the proposed regulations should have taken place. If the measure is approved, it will bar asylum-seekers who cross through another country on their way to the southern U.S. border unless they had previously¹⁵ applied¹⁶ for asylum elsewhere. But ultimately, what is important to remember is that the horrible events that happened yesterday will just continue to happen unless the urgent needs to ensure systems are in place to provide safety for people in need for international protection are put in place.

MART?NEZ: Rafael Velasquez is the country director for Mexico at the International Rescue Committee. Thank you very much.

VELASQUEZ: Thank you.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

5 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

8 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

9 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 implosion   

n.向内破裂，内爆

参考例句：

• The population explosion is accompanied by a population implosion.人口爆炸还伴随着人口爆聚。

12 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

13 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

14 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

15 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

16 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。