Los Angeles (USA), June 10 (EFE)- 18 other countries in the Americas, including the United States, Brazil and Mexico, and several Central American countries, signed a statement this Friday with concrete commitments to contain the crisis. region.
The signing ceremony of the so-called “Los Angeles Declaration on Immigration and Conservation” was held by US President Joe Biden on the last day of the 9th Americas Summit, which brought together leaders from all over the continent in Los Angeles.
Noting that in addition to the increase in irregular immigration to the USA, “millions” of Venezuelans have come to Colombia and that immigrants now “represent 10% of the population,” Biden said, “No nation should shoulder this responsibility alone.” Rich”.
To alleviate the pressure of these flows, the signatory countries have committed to expand opportunities to legally emigrate to, among other things, contain the influx of undocumented immigrants that continues to increase at the southern border of the United States.
“We need to stop the dangerous and illegal ways people migrate. Illegal immigration is unacceptable and we will protect our borders,” Biden said. said.
The United States has pledged to continue accepting non-farm temporary workers from Central America and prevent “exploits”, as well as increasing the quota of refugees from the United States to 20,000 for 2023 and 2024, with special priority given to those from Haiti. their hiring.
The declaration was signed by the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
Among the non-signers, most of the undocumented immigrants crossing the continent have three countries of origin: Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, which the US government decided not to invite to the Summit of the Americas because it considered it undemocratic.
Biden especially thanked the commitments of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Canada and Spain, who attended the summit as observers, represented by International Cooperation Minister Pilar Cancela.
According to the White House, Spain has committed to “doubling” the number of legal avenues for Honduran workers to participate in Spain’s circular immigration programs.
In his speech at the event, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso emphasized that “a holistic development agenda that puts people at the center” should be supported.
“It is urgent to spur actions to promote development opportunities in countries of origin on the one hand, and to detect and disperse the international mafia that controls irregular migration, on the other,” he said.
source: Noticias
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