Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic join forces with the US to address migration

Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic, countries where thousands of migrants seek to arrive irregularly in the United States, established a strategic alliance with Washington to “address the structural causes of migration,” their governments reported on Monday.

The agreement was reached in San José during the IV Summit of the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD), which brings together the presidents of these three Latin American countries.

Its territories are used by migrants coming up from South America and the Caribbean, mostly Haitians who left their country in recent years, but also Venezuelans, Cubans and Africans. His destination is North America.

“As an ally, the North American country will contribute to the Alliance’s efforts to address the structural causes of migration,” says a joint statement signed by leaders Laurentino Cortizo of Panama, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic and Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica.

Representing the United States were the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, José Fernández, and the head of US diplomacy for Latin America, Brian Nichols.

One of the actions of the agreement between the ADD and the US will be to create a “special fund” to address the causes of migration.

“Our countries already invest millions of dollars in immigration care when we are countries that typically receive migrants (…) So we offer to work with matching funds, with the additional collaboration of countries like the United States,” Alvarado said.

“We created this special fund, because if we talk about development and reducing those flows of people who leave their countries, infrastructure projects are required, which generate jobs and opportunities for these people so that they don’t have to make the decision to leave their country,” Cortizo commented.

As part of his plan to address the causes that motivate irregular migration to North America, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week signed an agreement in Costa Rica to strengthen the fight against human trafficking.

According to the UN, nearly one million Mexicans and Central Americans fled their countries in 2021 due to violence, lack of opportunities, climate change and the ravages of the covid-19 pandemic.

dgj/blue/dl