In these terms, the president of the most powerful country in the world communicated the new measures adopted by his administration and under which those who seek to enter illegally will be expelled to Mexico with immediate effect.
Despite the fact that Title 42, which allows for the accelerated rejection of asylum seekers in the United States, is still in force, the new measures add other restrictions for irregular immigrants such as a re-entry ban in effect for five years, and limitations to later apply to legal application for residence.
“People who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States will be subject to expedited removal. Those who are provided a safe, orderly, and legal path do not risk their lives traveling thousands of miles in the hands of traffickers, just to arrive and face the legal consequences of illegal entry,” Defense Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also assured in a statement that new processes will be in force for Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians and Nicaraguans that would give them authorization to work in the northern nation fror two years, while adding severe consequences for those who are unaware of the routes implemented.
Up to 30,000 people of these four nationalities will be able to enter US territory through a legal and simplified route, after studying the applications on a case-by-case basis, the information added.
So, he detailed, a temporary permit to work of up to two years would be granted, provided they pass rigorous biometric and biographical national security and public security checks, have a sponsor in the United States who agrees to provide financial and other support, and comply with the vaccinations and other health requirements.
According to DHS, the purpose of the provisions is to improve border security, limit irregular immigration, and create additional safe and orderly processes for people to legally reach the United States.
However, it does not seem coincidental that three of the countries to which the United States supposedly provides migratory facilities are also the target of sanctions by Washington, as has been the case for some time with Nicaragua and Venezuela, and for more than 60 years with Cuba.
Thus, the Biden administration is unaware of the impact of the coercive policies applied against these peoples, and to the detriment of their possibilities of development and economic growth.
In the Cuban case, the unjustified breach since 2017 of the commitment to grant 20,000 visas per year and the closure of visa processing at the US embassy in Havana, caused a significant accumulation of migratory potential, which affects the two countries and other countries’traffic.
This was stated the day before by Ernesto Soberón, director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad of the island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who mentioned how the strengthening of the economic blockade since 2019 aggravated this situation.
It is known that the worsening of socioeconomic conditions in any territory becomes one of the fundamental causes of emigration, and Cuban emigrants are no exception, he said.
He also considered that a normal relationship, which includes temporary visits between the two countries, would also contribute to reducing migratory potential and attempts to enter the United States through irregular routes and practices, while favoring communication between the families of the island.
“Cuba’s immigration policy facilitates the travel of its nationals abroad and the return to Cuba, in a regular, orderly and safe manner. The sustained increase in travel, in one direction or another, before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, confirms this ”, he affirmed.
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