Tijuana, Mexico, officials have opened a sports complex to host the influx of Ukrainian migrants who have arrived at the US-Mexico border in search of refuge in the United States.

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According to Enrique Lucero Vazquez, director of Tijuana’s immigration services, approximately 2,000 Ukrainians are currently in Tijuana, both near the US border crossing and at the “Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez” sports complex.

The facility has recently been used to host Central American caravans arriving in Tijuana.

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According to Vazquez, an estimated 10,000 Ukrainians and 25,000 Russians came to Mexico in January and February, largely by plane and on tourist visas.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some Ukrainians began making their way to Tijuana in search of asylum in the United States, according to Vazquez.

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The sports centre, which was built to shelter Ukrainians, has a capacity of 500 people and includes showers, restrooms, and an internet connection. Meanwhile, food is being distributed by non-profit organisations in the United States.

According to Vazquez, US immigration authorities are currently processing between 300 and 400 Ukrainians per day.

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According to Vazquez, approximately 3,000 migrants of various nationalities are currently housed in Tijuana’s 25 shelters before Title 42 is lifted. According to Vazquez, about 1,500 of those are from Central America and Haiti, while the other half is largely Mexican natives.

According to UN agencies, more than 4 million Ukrainians have gone abroad since the commencement of Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine.

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According to Poland’s border guard service, about 2.5 million of them have passed into Poland, and more are continuously arriving – though the numbers have dropped since the start of the war.