Page 4 - aruba-today-20190921

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 21 September 2019
U.S., El Salvador sign asylum

deal, details to be worked out

By COLLEEN LONG and AS- President Eric Schwartz. aid to continue.
TRID GALVAN Meghan Lopez, country "It has to be a real part-
Associated Press director for El Salvador at nership," she said, which
NEW YORK (AP) — The Unit- the International Rescue means the U.S. would have
ed States on Friday signed Committee, said the U.S. to give something.
an agreement that paves government is "attempting The country's new presi-
the way for the U.S. to send once more to turn its back dent, Nayib Bukele, has
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan ex- many asylum-seekers to on extremely vulnerable made clear he wishes to
changes folders with El Salvador Foreign Affairs Minister Alexan- one of the world's most vio- people." be an ally to the U.S., Hill
dra Hill after signing an agreement during news conference at lent countries, El Salvador. "El Salvador is not safe for Tinoco said.
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters in Wash- But both countries must first many of its own nationals "It is a complete 180 in terms
ington, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.
Associated Press take necessary legal ac- and is struggling to meet of foreign policy," she said.
tions and implement major their needs, which is why McAleenan said the
border security and asylum many seek asylum in the agreement advanced El
procedures before it would United States. It is unrealis- Salvador's commitment
go into effect, accord- tic to expect El Salvador to to developing an asylum
ing to a draft copy of the be able to offer protection framework, with help from
agreement obtained by to asylum-seekers fleeing the U.N. High Commissioner
The Associated Press. conditions comparable to for Refugees.
The deal is the latest am- those in El Salvador." "This will build on the good
bitious step taken by the El Salvadorans are exclud- work we have accom-
Trump administration to ed from the agreement, plished already with El Sal-
lean on other nations — according to the draft. vador's neighbor, Guate-
many of them notoriously McAleenan, who called mala, in building protection
violent — to take in immi- the agreement "a big step capacity to try to further our
grants to stop the flow of forward," and Hill Tinoco efforts to provide opportu-
migrants to the U.S.-Mexico discussed U.S. assistance nities to seek protection for
border. in making El Salvador a political, racial, religious or
U.S. immigration officials safer and more prosper- social group persecution as
also are forcing more than ous place for its citizens. Hill close as possible to the ori-
42,000 people to remain in Tinoco talked about end- gin of individuals that need
Mexico as their cases play ing gang violence. it," he said.
out and have changed "I mean, those individuals Guatemala officials are still
policy to deny asylum to threaten people, those in- working on how to imple-
anyone who transited dividuals kill people, those ment a "safe third country"
through a third country en individuals request for the agreement with the U.S.
route to the southern bor- poorest and most vulner- signed earlier this summer.
der of the U.S. able population to pay The arrangement with
Curbing immigration is a just to cross the street," she El Salvador was not de-
signature political issue for said, adding that her coun- scribed as a safe third
Trump and one that thrills try needs more investment country agreement, under
his supporters. from the U.S. and other na- which nations agree that
But the U.S. is also manag- tions. their respective countries
ing a crush of migrants at The agreement, first report- are safe enough and have
the border that has strained ed by The Associated Press, robust enough asylum sys-
the system. could lead to migrants from tems, so that if migrants
Acting Homeland Security third countries obtaining transit through one of the
Secretary Kevin McAleen- refuge in El Salvador if they countries they must remain
an and El Salvador's foreign pass through that country there instead of moving on
minister, Alexandra Hill Tino- on their way to the U.S., Hill to another country.
co, signed the "coopera- Tinoco said in an interview The U.S. officially has only
tive asylum agreement" in with the AP. one such agreement in
a live-streamed press con- But she said most migrants place, with Canada.
ference on Friday. who travel north don't pass The Trump administration
They lauded the two coun- through El Salvador, which this year threatened to
tries for working together to is on the western edge of withhold all federal assis-
stem migration to the U.S. Central America and is tance to El Salvador, Gua-
but provided few details much smaller geographi- temala and Honduras un-
about the agreement. cally than its neighbor to less they did more to end
Condemnation from mi- the east, Honduras. the migrant crisis.
grant and refugee advo- She told The AP the details The move was met by stiff
cates was swift. would need to be ham- resistance in Congress as
"Where will they declare a mered out, including bor- experts had said the cuts
haven for asylum seekers der security, asylum pro- would likely only exacer-
next? Syria? North Korea? cedures and potential aid bate the number of mi-
This is cynical and absurd. from the U.S. She said the grants seeking to make the
El Salvador is in no way agreement is a starting hazardous journey to the
safe for asylum seekers," point, and they expected U.S. because of a further
said Refugees International negotiations on possible lack of resources.q