Washington will also issue 11,500 seasonal work visas for nationals of Haiti and Central America to cope with labor shortages.
Le Monde
The United States will accommodate 20,000 refugees from Latin America in 2023 and 2024, and unlock 314 million dollars (298 million euros) of humanitarian assistance mainly for Venezuelan migrants, announced on Friday on Friday June 10, the White House. These announcements intervene at the end of the summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, during which American leaders from the whole region must adopt a declaration on their commitments in matters of immigration.
The United States therefore undertakes to open its doors to 20,000 people, which, according to a statement from the American executive, would be the triple of the number of refugees hosted this year. By way of comparison, Washington promised to accommodate 100,000 Ukrainians after the country’s invasion by Russia.
Administration Biden also intends to “increase” the reception of Haitian refugees – without giving figures – and will issue 11,500 seasonal work visas for nationals of Haiti and Central America, in order to cope with labor shortages.
“Los Angeles Declaration”
In financial terms, the United States will pay $ 314 million in new funding for “humanitarian assistance and development aid for refugees and vulnerable migrants” in Latin America. This program must mainly help the Venezuelans, whether at home or in the countries in which they have emigrated. More than 6 million Venezuelans have fled their country, prey to a very serious economic and social crisis.
Neither Venezuela, nor Cuba, nor Nicaragua were invited to this great regional summit by Washington, which aroused strong criticism from certain leaders present and the pure and simple boycott of the president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The “Los Angeles Declaration”, as the White House calls it, which must be adopted covers various commitments or reminders of past commitments from the countries of the region, in terms of reception of migrants and flow regulation . The text poses the principle, dear to President Biden, of a “shared responsibility” between states while thousands of people in an irregular situation try every day to enter the United States.
The Belize will thus, according to the White House press release, launch an illegal immigrant regularization program while Costa Rica will renew a temporary protection program for people from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Other examples: Mexico will increase by 10,000 to 20,000 the number of people who can benefit from a specific work permit program, while Canada will open its borders to 50,000 workers in the agricultural sector .