The emergence of Chinese migrants
In 2023, more than 37,400 Chinese migrants entered the US illegally via its southern border.
This was more than 50 times the number in 2021, according to data from the US Customs and Border Protection.
The Chinese were the fastest-growing migrant group encountered by the US Border Patrol.
Three years of pandemic lockdowns had ruined the lives of many in the world’s second-largest economy. People lost their businesses, their savings, their homes and ended up in debt.
The future looked bleak for others even after the end of China’s zero-COVID policy. Economic recovery has faltered, and the slowdown in growth has sapped consumer confidence.
Against this backdrop, videos of Chinese people crossing a dense tropical jungle along with a vast number of South Americans, started appearing on short video apps such as Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and platforms like YouTube.
To find hope again in the US, they were attempting one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes.
This was how Dad hatched his plan. “I did a lot of research on YouTube and Telegram,” he said. And he figured the family’s tight budget of 200,000 yuan (US$27,500) was just enough to get his family to the Promised Land.
Like many before him, he soon realised that simply getting out of China would be one of the hardest parts of the plan. The rising number of people heading for the US illegally had raised suspicion among Chinese immigration officers.
So the tips shared in Telegram group chats, for example, came in handy.
Take a detour to a viable holiday destination first. A lot of Chinese go to Thailand, for example. That’ll raise less suspicion. But you must know your tourist itinerary.
Avoid overpacking or bringing items like camping gear. And make sure to buy refundable return tickets, which you can cancel once overseas.
Book your next flight to a country with easy visa application processes for Chinese travellers, like Egypt and Türkiye. You can go to the Americas from there.
Scrub all these tips from your phone before leaving China!
