MEXICO CITY

Guatemala's immigration body said Wednesday that 161 Mexicans who fled their country seeking refuge from organized crime will be allowed to temporarily remain legally in the country.

The Guatemalan Immigration Institute granted temporary humanitarian status to 92 adults and 69 children from the Mexican municipality of Frontera Comalapa in the southern state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala.

The refugees, consisting of 39 families, are staying in rented homes, or in shelters with relatives in the Guatemalan border town of La Mesilla, as drug cartels continue their violent siege in the region.

In recent years, the cartels have expanded their presence and activities in the southeastern region of Mexico, particularly in states like Chiapas, whose geographic location has made it a key point for drugs, arms and human trafficking.

Mexico's largest and most powerful cartels -- the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel -- have waged a brutal battle in the region, vying for control of the territory and turning Chiapas into a war zone.

As a result, hundreds of Mexicans have been displaced in an attempt to escape armed violence and forced recruitment and disappearances.

Last year, nearly 600 people were displaced from Chiapas state to neighboring Guatemala due to cartel-related violence, where they remained for several months.

Human rights organizations in Chiapas have raised concerns about the sharp increase in cartel-related violence in the state.

The Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center, a humanitarian watchdog organization, said that between 2019 and 2023, forced disappearances in Chiapas increased by 358%, although the exact number of disappearances remains unknown.

In addition, in the last year, authorities have reported 600 murders related to the security crisis.