Q COSTA RICA (EFE) Costa Rica, now part of the U.S. and UN-backed , 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.
This adds to the two already existing centers in Guatemala and Colombia.
This initiative will make it simpler for asylum seekers from Nicaragua and Venezuela in Costa Rica to find legal routes to get to the U.S. and other nations.
Costa Rica and the US both agreed that anyone who has entered the country illegally up to this day will be sent back to their home 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.
“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 said.
Starting 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 19.
This is happening after the US suspended Title 42 a month ago, which allowed for automatic deportations of migrants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they put restrictions on asylum applications.
