New York, NY, July 27, 2016 — In response to the White House's announcement to expand refugee resettlement opportunities for Central Americans fleeing violence, including expanding the existing Central American Minors resettlement program, Anna Greene, Policy and Advocacy Director of US Programs released the following statement:
“The plans announced yesterday to create more opportunities for Central Americans fleeing violence to be resettled as refugees to the United States is a welcomed step in the right direction and signals the increasing recognition that innocent children and families from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are being forced into displacement as a result of violence and persecution. Children and families whose daily life is marked by constant threats of violence have had no other option but to make the long and dangerous journey to America alone – often to join parents or other family members already here – and that is not a choice that any child or parent should have to face.”
“The expanded eligibility criteria for the Central American Minors resettlement program will make a difference of life and death for hundreds of vulnerable Central American children separated from one or both parents. But it’s important to remember that most children and families in danger cannot wait to be processed in-country, so the newly-announced evacuation mechanism is essential.”
The new announcement not only expands the eligibility criteria of the existing Central American Minors Program, but also will allow for innocent families and individuals who are facing the most extreme risks of persecution inside Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to be identified for evacuation to Costa Rica, which will generously serve as a temporary host site while they await processing for admission to the United States as refugees. The IRC hopes that other resettlement countries will join in this effort alongside the United States, to ensure that as many at-risk families can benefit as possible.
“The transit option via Costa Rica, while absolutely essential and a great step forward, is only anticipated to accommodate about 200 individuals at any given time. We must also ensure that the right of children and families to flee, seek asylum along borders and receive protection, is preserved and strengthened.”
In the past two years, over 100,000 unaccompanied children from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have sought safe haven at the United States southern border, alongside tens of thousands more arriving in family units, most of them women and children. The current program, which helps qualified children from these Central American countries have a safe and legal alternative to the hazardous journey to the United States, has received 9,500 applications to date.
Thus far, only 600 applicants from this group have arrived in the United States, but that number is due to increase exponentially over the next few months as the program picks up speed.
The expanded program will allow for more children and families to access protection through resettlement, but the wider challenge of ensuring access to fair asylum procedures in the United States or in transit countries like Mexico remains. While yesterday’s announcement was welcome, the U.S. must fundamentally shift its policies towards humanitarian response and protection, not enforcement and deterrence.