UNITED STATES.-The New Republic reports on figures that show that, for more than a decade now, increased border security and an overall militarization has lead to the deaths of more and more people along the U.S.-Mexico border, and although it has fluctuated, 2012 and 2013 were the worst years for fatalities among migrants since 2005, according to statistics from Washington Office on Latin America, or WOLA. This, even though immigration into the U.S. from Mexico has dropped overall.

WOLA placed most of the blame of the heighten security on the border, which does little to deter immigrants from trying to get into the country, and mostly just forces them to cross through the more dangerous and lethal parts of the border, mostly the desert of southern Arizona and others states.

[img srcThumb="http://edgecast.sdr-files.buscafs.com/uploads/news/photos/news_photo_50952_1396642595_630.jpg" srcLink="http://edgecast.sdr-files.buscafs.com/uploads/news/photos/news_photo_50952_1396642595.jpg" size="medium"]This chart by the

Washington Office on Latin America shows where and how many deaths have there been along the border, showing a clear rise after a drop during 2006 and 2010. But the trend is unmistakable.[/img]

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There was a slight drop in deaths previous to 2011, mostly due to the late-2000's recession, experts believe. But even during those years of almost negative immigration (about the same amount of people were heading back into Mexico as they were crossing into the U.S.), deaths were still higher than they ever have been.

The University of Arizona's Binational Migration Institute explained in a 2013 report that "segmented border militarization has resulted in the funnel effect, or the redistribution of migratory flows into remote and dangerous areas such as southern Arizona."

Via The Dish.

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jose.sanchez@sandiegored.com