Costa Rica will host one of the migration centers managed by the United States to process asylum applications from Venezuelan and Nicaraguan migrants, both governments announced this Monday in a joint statement.
The Central American country thus joins the so-called Safe Mobility plan, managed by the United States with the support of the UN, which already contemplated the creation of two similar centers in Guatemala and Colombia.
This initiative will make it easier for migrants from Nicaragua and Venezuela who are registered in Costa Rica as asylum seekers to access legal pathways to reach the United States and other countries.
No ilegal entrance
However, Costa Rica and the United States agreed that all migrants who have entered the Central American country irregularly as of today will be deported to their countries. Those who continue north and enter the United States without permission will also be deported and face a possible five-year ban from returning to the United States.
During the first two months of Safe Mobility, people eligible for the program will be contacted to schedule an appointment at the migrant processing center, whose location has not yet been disclosed.
Promote the integration of refugees and migrants
“The United States and Costa Rica reaffirm their commitment to work with all countries in the region to promote the integration of refugees and migrants, expand legal channels, and promote humanitarian border management,” they stated.
This same Monday the process to request an appointment was opened at the immigration center that will be opened in Guatemala, while in Colombia the same will happen on June 19th.
The start of these pilot programs comes after a month ago the United States suspended Title 42 – which allowed the automatic deportation of migrants under the pretext of the covid-19 Pandemic – but established restrictions on asylum applications.
In April, before the suspension of Title 42, the United States announced the opening of centers in Colombia and Guatemala in order to facilitate regular migration and stop the massive arrival of migrants, many of them from Venezuela, Haiti or Central American countries.
