The NGO asks America to implement the migration agreement

The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the world’s self-proclaimed oldest refugee agency, called on countries in the Americas on Thursday to make “proper use” of the Los Angeles Declaration to have an “effective approach to addressing human” regional migration, following the end of Title 42 in NOW.

“It is critical that the US and countries throughout the region make proper use of the most promising tool to address the pressing migration challenges in the Western Hemisphere: the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection,” said HIAS President, Mark Hetfieldthrough a statement.

Hetfield emphasized that this request is made “in light of the new restrictions implemented” by the administration of the US president, Joe Biden“asylum seekers at the southern border after the end of Title 42, while creating new pathways for the resettlement of refugees from Latin America“.

In June 2022, two dozen US countries pledged to expand legal migration opportunities and strengthen regional cooperation to curb the growing flow of undocumented immigrants at the border of the United States and other countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador or Costa Rica in the “Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection”.

In a statement, Hetfield noted that “one year after the adoption of the Declaration,” HIAS is “concerned by the continuing lack of coordination between governments in terms of policy formulation and approaches around the security and rights of millions of refugees and other displaced persons.”

“The recent publication of a plan to combat human trafficking and smuggling in Darien Gap (the border between Colombia and Panama) raised questions about how the proposed security measures would be balanced with the need to respect international human rights standards,” he added.

He acknowledged that he “recognizes the importance of strengthening coordination and cooperation among the governments of the Americas in light of the increase in displacement throughout the region and the world.”

This regional agreement on migration “represents a crucial step to address the risks and needs faced by refugees and displaced persons in their search for safety and better opportunities”.

However, HIAS pointed out that “it is not enough to adopt the Declaration without using it as a mechanism to initiate significant political changes”.

He added that “the governments that approved the use of this tool last year should also ensure that civil society and non-governmental organizations are aware of the plan and actively participate in the process, so that we can begin to take the necessary steps towards an effective approach that humanely deals with migration flows. in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

On May 11, the so-called Title 42, the American health regulation, expired due to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 which enabled the expulsion of undocumented migrants without the possibility of seeking asylum.

Title 8 now applies, which, unlike 42, allows migrants to claim asylum upon arrival at the border, but they must meet several conditions, including having applied for it in the countries they passed through or face deportation. quickly.