As economy falters, more Chinese migrants take a perilous journey to the US border to seek asylum

SAN DIEGO — The young Chinese man looked lost and exhausted when Border Patrol agents left him at a transit station. “They’ve lost hope for the future of the country,” said Cai, who now lives in the U.S. “You see among them the educated and the uneducated, white-collar workers, as well as small business owners, and those from well-off families.” Two men from China rest in the partial shade of the border wall that separates Mexico from the United States after crossing to seek asylum, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. Those who can’t get a visa are finding other ways to flee the world’s most populous nation. A man from China gets a bowl of oatmeal from a volunteer as he waits with others for processing to apply for asylum after crossing the border with Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. Short video platforms and messaging apps provide not only on-the-ground video clips but also step-by-step guides from China to the U.S., including tips on what to pack, where to find guides, how to survive the jungle, which hotels to stay at, how much to bribe police in different countries and what to do when encountering U.S. immigration officers. A group of people, including many from China, walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. Catholic Charities of San Diego uses hotels to provide shelters for migrants, including 1,223 from China in September. “They don’t want to be in a shelter.” In September, 98% of U.S. border arrests of Chinese people occurred in the San Diego area.