US Allegedly Plans to Send Latin American Migrants to Greece
The US is allegedly planning to refer some migrants in Latin America for resettlement in Greece and Italy as part of efforts to discourage people in the region from traveling to the US-Mexico border, two people familiar with the government’s plans have said.
The scheme would mean Greece and Italy welcoming migrants processed at immigration offices that the Biden administration set up last year in four Latin American countries to screen migrants who hope to reach the US, two sources told CBS News, requesting anonymity.
The offices, officially known as Safe Mobility Offices, permit certain migrants in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala to apply to come to the US or other countries legally.
Under the new arrangements, Greece and Italy would join Canada and Spain in resettling some of those processed at the centers. One of the sources said Italy and Greece would most likely accept a relatively small number of migrants, roughly 500 or fewer each.
The centers are just one part of a broader Biden administration strategy to reduce illegal crossing at the US border by offering potential migrants legal immigration opportunities.
Over the past year, the administration has coupled those programs with tougher enforcement measures, including a rule that presumes migrants are ineligible for US asylum if they failed to seek protection in a third country.
Illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border are down by more than 50 percent in May compared to the record high reported in December – a trend administration officials have attributed to their policies, and efforts by Mexican officials to stop migrants from traveling north.
To quell a potential rise in migration, President Biden is also set to issue an executive action as soon as next week that would bar most asylum claims when illegal crossing soar, sources familiar with the internal deliberations told CBS News. A spokesperson for the State Department said the Safe Mobility Offices have “enabled a six-fold increase in the number of refugees resettled from the western hemisphere.”
“Given the success of the program,” the spokesperson added, “we are in diplomatic discussions with other countries about joining this initiative to expand lawful pathways for resettlement but have no additional information to share at this time.”
Greece Denies Migrant Deal with US
However, Greece has allegedly denied the report on its migrant resettlement deal with the US. “There is neither an agreement nor a request from the US to resettle legal immigrants in Greece,” said Greek migration minister Dimitris Kairidis.
He took to social media on Friday, May 31, writing “The CBS report is untrue. There is neither an agreement nor a request from the US to resettle legal immigrants in Greece.”
Kairidis said that he was unpleasantly surprised by the report, telling local Skai radio that it was “suspicious” coming just days before voters in Greece and other countries in the European Union elect a new European Parliament.
Business Wire
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