Pope donates $500,000 to assist migrants in Mexico

Rome: Pope Francis has donated $500,000 to assist migrants Mexico.

The amount, which will come from the Vatican's Peter's Pence fund, will be distributed among 27 projects in 16 dioceses and among religious congregations in Mexico that requested help to continue providing housing, food, and basic necessities to migrants.

In a statement, the fund said, "In recent months, thousands of migrants have arrived in Mexico, having travelled more than 4,000 kilometres on foot and with makeshift vehicles from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Men and women, often with young children, flee poverty and violence, hoping for a better future in the United States. However, the US border remains closed to them.

"In 2018, six migrant caravans entered Mexico, for a total of 75,000 people; the arrival of other groups was announced. All these people were stranded, unable to enter the United States, without a home or livelihood. The Catholic Church hosts thousands of them in the hotels within dioceses or religious congregations, providing basic necessities, from housing to clothing."

In reference to the projects, the office of Peter's Pence stated that 13 projects had already been approved and another 14 were being evaluated.