"Onslaught of illegal aliens", "migrant hordes", "invaders" - US President Donald Trump and the Republicans have barely missed a day in the midterm election campaign, without warning of an alleged "caravan" of people crossing the border the US to Mexico "march". Conservative broadcasters, led by Fox News, picked up on the topic - and spurred on their part the electorate with horror stories about the approaching, presumably largely criminal, new arrivals.

Now the elections are over - and around 4500 refugees from Central and Central American countries, including many families, have reached the border. In about the same amount of people are expected in the coming days. For his part, Trump sent soldiers to the region, repeatedly emphasizing that he did not want to let people into the country.

SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke at the reception center in the sports stadium of Tijuana with activist Irineo Mujica about what people now have possibilities and what the current development means for future migration movements.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Mujica, many members of the migrant train have reached Tijuana? What is the situation in the border town?

Mujica: Tijuana is a city of migrants, there is infrastructure here, there are lawyers and organizations that can help. Here people are relatively safe compared to other places. And the road to Tijuana is not as dangerous as the other border towns, which may be closer.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: One has the impression here that there is relative helplessness among the migrants, how things are going to continue now, and at the same time a considerable amount of confusion among aid organizations. Local, regional and international groups are active here. The city of Tijuana is also involved. Everything seems a bit uncoordinated.

Mujica: That's because there are so many refugees who need different help. We alone can not do that, we are simply overwhelmed. So here are the Mexican Human Rights Commission, Pueblo sin Fronteras, the UN Refugee Agency, the Red Cross, and lots of local organizations to help people with advice and help.

MIRROR ONLINE: What happens in concrete terms?

Mujica: Guidance is given for those seeking asylum in the US, it also explains what it means to be registered as a refugee in Mexico. There is a kind of job exchange. There are 20,000 jobs available to migrants throughout Mexico. Some of the Central Americans are already looking for jobs here in Tijuana. But the majority of them still have a strong desire to enter the US. They just do not know how to do it the best. There are also rumors that third countries such as Canada or Japan would offer people prospects.

MIRROR ONLINE: A total of up to 9,000 migrants are expected here in the coming days. What are the dangers of such a large number of needy people?

Mujica: This is the hard reality now. Refugees will realize by now that they can not easily cross this border, unlike the previous crossings. Over there in sight is the border wall to the US. People are so close to their dream destination and yet so far away from it. The danger is that they are now losing their nerve and are trying in large groups to cross the border without papers. And then the US soldiers actually shoot. We absolutely have to prevent that. That's the horror scenario. Time is running out. It is no good for anyone if people are stuck here for months.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: There is a discussion about whether these people are vulnerable refugees - or migrants who are looking for a better life. How do you see that?

Mujica : These people are all refugees. They flee their homeland from an unbearable situation of violence in which the youth gangs have supplanted the state as a power of order and terrorize the population. They also flee because they see no perspective at home. They can not earn enough money to feed their families. This refugee movement from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador has been around for years. Only she was never as focused as she is now.

AP

US border guards at the transition to Mexico in Tijuana

MIRROR ONLINE: Will we see more masses of refugee movements in the future?

Mujica : If the causes of flight home are not eradicated and nothing is done against the violence and exploitation of migrants by the Organized Crime here in Mexico, which makes the march through the country in small groups to hell, it will continue to do so.