Washington, United States
The government of President of the United States, Joe Bidenwill seek to implement a “ comprehensive and long-term plan ” to address the migration challenges of the Western Hemisphere, including those of its own system, said this Friday, Roberta Jacobson, special assistant to the president, who admitted the changes will not take place “from night to day”.
“The administration of President Biden It is committed to (implementing) a fair, orderly and humane border procedure, but it will take time, ” said the Southwest Border Coordinator at the National Security Council during a conference by telephone.
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According to the official, the pillars of this plan are to reduce the causes forcing people to migrate; expand access to international protection (place of refuge and asylum); expand family reunification mechanisms and labor migration programs and protect national and border security.
“IT IS NOT THE TIME TO REACH THE LIMIT”
Jacobson, who was US Ambassador to Mexico Between 2016 and 2018, he sent a message to migrants and families “who are now on their way to the United States or considering this journey: the situation at the border has not changed.”
“This is not the time to go to the border of the United Statesthe officer said. Procedures will not change overnight and travel is especially dangerous in the midst of a pandemic, ”he added.
United States and Mexico They agreed to limit non-essential ground travel in March last year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a measure that had previously taken effect at the Canadian border.
The decision, passed by President Donald Trump’s latest administration, remains in effect, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Jan. 20, the same day Biden arrived at the White House.
ASYLUM APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
Jacobson also referred to the people who, due to the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, also known as’ Remain in Mexico ‘, are waiting in the neighboring country for a response to their asylum application, saying that they have’ quite a lot of resources for that challenge. “
On January 20, the Biden administration announced that it would suspend registrations in that program starting January 21, allowing the Trump administration to return asylum seekers to the neighboring country.
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“The Department of Internal Security is not registering more people, more migrants in the program,” the adviser confirmed, noting that they are looking at how to handle migrants who are already part of that initiative, especially those who have been waiting for years. . and the “most vulnerable”.
And in a message to those who signed up, the Southwest Border Manager asked them to wait.
“Don’t come to the border now if you don’t live on the border,” he said, promising that they will contact the participants through non-governmental organizations and others and that they will be processed “in an orderly manner”.
NO PLANS TO TRANSFER PEOPLE TO CENTRAL AMERICA
Consulted on the Asylum Cooperation Agreements (ACA) with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, countries that make up the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America and from which come the greatest number of migrants seeking to reach the United States through Mexico, ruled from transfers being made .
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Jacobson explained that transfers under the Guatemala agreement – the only one he said had been updated – have been suspended since March due to the pandemic.
“The other two agreements, with El Salvador and Honduras, have not been implemented. Currently there are no plans to transfer people under any of the three agreements,” he said.
IMMIGRATION REFORM, ANOTHER PROPOSAL
The ambassador also referred to the immigration reform that Biden presented to Congress on his first day at the helm of government, saying it is more complete and part of the “ understanding of legalizing people living in the shadows in the United States. States, 11 million or more, ”he said.
In this sense, he admitted that the process of this initiative in Congress “will be difficult,” but stressed that there are people on both the Republican and Democratic sides who “understand very well that it is essential to deal with the situation of these people. people ‘and even pointed out that polls show that the majority of the American population is in favor of that project.