Families of migrants separated by this 5-meter-high border between Mexico and New Mexico were able to meet for four minutes. This is a first.

The 5-meter high steel wall between the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez and New Mexico in the United States opened for the first time on Saturday, offering some 250 families a brief four-minute reunion. AFP noted.

"A wall that is portrayed as impenetrable and racist is giving way today to the love and hope of families," said Fernando Garcia, director of the US Border Network for the Defense of Human Rights, which is organizing the fifth time this reunion under the slogan "Hugs without walls" .

A first on this so-called "impregnable" border

Meetings between separated families, for lack of legal immigration documents, have already taken place along the border of more than 3,000 km between Mexico and the United States. For example, on an almost dry area of ​​the Rio Bravo River where a wall is now under construction. The opening of a wall door between the poor locality of Anapra and Ciudad Juarez is however a first.

On Saturday, for four minutes, some 1,500 migrants living in the United States were able to hug, laugh, cry and see their loved ones in Mexico face-to-face.

Families living in the United States wore blue T-shirts, those living in Mexico wearing white T-shirts. | HERIKA MARTINEZ / AFP

"The proximity of the cities has helped us stay close, but I am very happy to embrace them," said 46-year-old Josefa Magalde, who lives in Ciudad Juarez, before rushing over her cousins ​​who live in El Paso. Texas, which she had not seen for five years.

Four minutes of reunion

Families living in the United States wore blue T-shirts and those living in Mexico were dressed in white.

Children, grandchildren and cousins ​​took advantage of four short minutes to take photos, before separating on the orders of US Border Patrol agents and the Mexican Federal Police.

"We did not have enough time, but we are satisfied and happy with this opportunity," concluded Magalde, who can not go legally to the United States, for lack of authorization. His family, who smuggled into the United States and can not enter and leave the country freely, goes through the door again to return to the United States.

"I hope that the message will reach the new Mexican government (President-elect Lopez Obrador takes office on 1 December) and that he will understand that he must defend the rights of immigrant families in a strong and irreproachable way." asked Mr. Garcia.