U.S. says it's ready to send Mexican migrants to Guatemala, where few seek asylum
Source: CBS
Despite objections from the Mexican government, the Trump administration has announced it's preparing to expand a controversial agreement with Guatemala to send Mexican asylum-seekers to the Central American nation, where few follow through on seeking protection.
In late November, the U.S. and Guatemala started to implement one of three asylum accords the Trump administration brokered with countries in Central America's Northern Triangle, comprised of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Once rerouted by the U.S. to Guatemala, which has seen hundreds of thousands of its citizens trek north in the past two years, asylum-seekers are given the option to request protection there or seek help from a non-governmental group to return to their native countries.
Out of 85 asylum-seekers sent to Guatemala by the U.S., only six migrants have requested protection through the Central American country's fledgling asylum system and five of them have since abandoned their claim, the Guatemalan government's migration institute said Tuesday. The rest have opted to return to their home countries.
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Reports on Monday by BuzzFeed News and Reuters that U.S. officials were ready to implement plans to subject asylum-seekers from Mexico to the U.S.-Guatemala agreement fueled even more criticism from advocates. They said the move would further undermine the administration's assertions that its asylum agreements are designed to offer migrants protection "closer to home," since Mexican asylum-seekers, unlike those from Honduras and El Salvador, do not travel through Guatemalan territory to reach America's southern border.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/only-2-migrants-sent-to-guatemala-from-the-us-have-sought-asylum/
Guatemala was obliged to sign an agreement with the United States last year, after the Administration of President Donald Trump warned its Government that aid could be suspended. Members of migrant caravans from Central American nations who pass through Guatemala into Mexico and onwards to the Borderline with the US can be sent back to Guatemala, to formally apply and await the result there.
Very few who are undergoing this process stand much of chance of being accepted. But now the US State Department says that this measure could also apply to some Mexicans. The Mexican Foreign Ministry is criticizing that development. So far, it`s also steadfastly refused to become a so called third nation safe haven.
The Guatemalan Agreement was signed by then President Jimmy Morales. President Elect Alejandro Giammattei, who`s due to be inaugurated this month, says he`s going to thoroughly review that deal. This is likely to cause problems with the US. Nevertheless, Guatemalan Authorities insist that they simply don't have the money or facilities to cope with wave after influx of asylum seeking migrants, who could be with them for quite some time. Honduras and El Salvador have also signed similar agreements.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2020-01/mexico-and-guatemala-governments-protest-us-asylum-law.html
The excuse of "they already came through Guatemala" was thin enough - it's not as if it's a safe country with the capacity to in refugees. Trump had to blackmail them by threatening to block aid (hey, that sounds familiar...). But sending Mexicans south is just taking the piss.
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You take these asylum seekers or we suspend aid.
