Washington, (EFE).- The US Government has proposed to Mexico a new immigration program that would benefit refugees from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other nationalities that are in Mexican territory waiting to cross into USAsaid to EFE a source familiar with the talks between the two countries.
According to that source, the program that USA and Mexico are negotiating is intended to alleviate the migratory pressure that the Mexican government has faced for several years.
The aforementioned source did not specify what exactly the program consists of and if, like other initiatives of the Executive of Joe Bidenwill allow refugees in Mexico request asylum remotely without having to cross the border and report to one of the US Border Patrol posts.
In any case, according to that source, only refugees who have entered Mexican territory before June 6 will be eligible for this program.
The aforementioned source did not specify whether there will be a specific number of nationalities that will be eligible for the asylum program. However, most of the people who cross into the United States from Mexico come from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, according to data from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP, for its acronym in English).
To apply for asylum in the United States, anyone must show that they face persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a specific social or ethnic group.
The Government of Joe Biden has implemented various measures to encourage legal migration and prevent thousands of people from crossing the border into Mexico on foot in search of asylum or better economic opportunities, which has put great pressure on the resources of some border communities.
Currently, the main way to apply for asylum in EU is through a mobile application called «CBP One», that allows those in Mexico to make appointments with US authorities to present their asylum cases.
However, that app only offers 1,250 daily appointments, which means that available spaces fill up quickly.
Another program that Biden has created allows nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela apply for an immigration permit to enter the United States, but only those who arrive by plane to US territory and have a sponsor who can prove that it will help them adjust to the country qualify.
That program, however, establishes that the delivery of immigration permits will be limited to 30,000 people per month; although, due to the high demand, the number of applications processed has been half in some months, as explained on its website by the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)for its acronym in English). EFE
