WASHINGTON — The government of Democratic President Joe Biden deported migrants to China on a charter flight for the first time since 2018, the US Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
The expulsion flight took place last weekend and was carried out in “close coordination” with the Chinese authorities, it said in a brief statement.
The DHS told AFP that there were 116 people on board.
From October to the end of May, the US Border Patrol has intercepted more than 31,000 Chinese migrants who illegally crossed the border with Mexico, according to official data. This is more than 15 times more than in 2022.
“We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and expel individuals who lack legal basis to remain in the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was quoted as saying in the statement.
“People should not believe the lies of human traffickers,” he added.
According to the DHS, Chinese and U.S. authorities are working to “reduce and deter irregular migration and stop human trafficking.”
Election theme
Migration is one of the central issues in the November presidential elections in the United States, in which Biden is seeking re-election and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump hopes to regain the keys to the White House.
Republicans accuse Biden of not doing enough to stem the influx of illegal migrants.
In early June, the Democratic president signed an executive order authorizing the closure of the border with Mexico to migrants seeking asylum when there are more than 2,500 irregular crossings in a seven-day average. He plans to reopen it when the number drops to 1,500.
As a result, the seven-day average of interceptions has decreased “by more than 40% and DHS has operated more than 120 international repatriation flights to more than 20 countries,” including China, the statement said.
In it, the United States says it is pleased with Ecuador’s recent announcement “to require visas for Chinese passport holders, given efforts by traffickers to exploit that route.”
Source: With information from AFP
