BOGOTA (Reuters) – Three offices meant to attend Haitian, Cuban, and Venezuelan migrants hoping to reach the United States will open in Colombia, the Andean country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, the initial phase of a plan to reduce migrant flows through the dangerous Darien Gap.
The Safe Mobility scheme was agreed between Colombia, Panama, and the United States in April to address humanitarian issues in the Darien, where migrants often suffer death, injury, and crime.
Colombian towns on the way to the Darien are regularly overcrowded with migrants attempting to move along the irregular route.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 250,000 people crossed the treacherous Darien Gap during the first seven months of 2023, citing Panamanian government figures. The number is equal to the total figure of crossers in 2022.
The Colombia foreign ministry statement mentioned that Haitian, Cuban, and Venezuelan migrants who entered Colombia legally through June 11 this year can apply online for potential spots to enter the United States.
“For this exploratory phase, in consultation with local authorities, Colombia has authorized the creation of three points for Safe Mobility in the cities of Soacha, Medellin, and Cali,” the statement added. The Medellin office opened this week, and the points will operate at locations shared with UN agencies.
Colombia emphasizes that it will not intercede in any migration decisions.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
