United States / Guatemala. The United States stops thinking of a “safe country” for refugees in Guatemala

Madrid, 6 (Europe Press)

The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday that “the United States authorities” have decided to “end the bilateral cooperation agreement in asylum matters” with which the country is no longer considered a “safe third country”. refugees.

The Guatemalan government “accepted” the decision of the new United States executive branch, and expressed the “commitment” of the United States with Guatemala “to maintain close cooperation and coordination” with the aim of “meeting the combined challenges. Related to the causes of irregular migration.”

In July 2019, during the administration of former President Donald Trump, the two countries signed an immigration agreement valid for two years, according to which Guatemala became a safe third country and welcomed asylum seekers while their procedures were resolved in the American force.

This week, US President Joe Biden signed a batch of executive orders aimed at countering the “bad” immigration policies of former President Donald Trump.

Among these orders, there were two lines of action to deal with immigration policies. On the one hand, a strategy focused on searching “deep causes” and cooperating with countries in the region, including Guatemala.

The Guatemalan Immigration Institute reported that from November 2019 to March 2020, 579 Hondurans and 360 Salvadoran asylum seekers arrived in the United States, according to ‘Prensa Libre’.