Page 8 - Pakistan Link - January 20, 2023

P8 - PAKISTAN LINK - JANUARY 20, 2023 OPINION
n By Sunita Sohrabji Will the North American Leadership Summit longer outputs. But I don’t think any-
USA body believes that Title 42 expansion
resident Joe Biden and Cana- Result in Substantive Immigration Policy Change? is sustainable, not just because of the
courts, but also because the flows are
dian Prime Minister Justin continuing to change. We are seeing
P Trudeau met Mexico’s Presi- cess and want to return home. increasing numbers of Colombians,
dent Andrés Manuel López Obrador So, the question that you ask has Peruvians, Ecuadorians: it would be
January 10 to discuss the US-Mexi- two parts of it. One of is does Mexico unrealistic to believe that expanding
co-Canada relationship. The meeting have the resources? No. But I don’t parole to Peruvians, Colombians and
focused heavily on immigration. In think migrants that are being ex- Ecuadorians would essentially be the
this interview, Ariel Ruiz Soto, pol- pelled to Mexico to begin with would solution to everything we are seeing
icy analyst at the Migration Policy want to stay there anyway. at the border.
Institute discusses the summit, and Ken Salazar, the US. Ambassa-
significant policy changes that may dor to Mexico, has said there will be EMS: What does humane immigra-
emerge. about $23 million provided to shelter tion policy look like? And given the
Sweeping changes in immigra- organizations on the Mexican side very divided House and Senate, can
tion policy — including the imme- of the border. That’s a good develop- we expect to see that in 2023?
diate revocation of the Trump-era ment, though I would have questions ARS: Humanitarian approach to
Title 42 policy — were promised by about how that will be disbursed and migration by the Congress would en-
candidate Joe Biden on the campaign what requirements will be mandated tail improving access to asylum first
trail. Two years later, however, the of organizations receiving the dis- and foremost, and second, providing
policy has not been revoked. Presi- President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Mexico’s President Andrés bursements. more resources for the organizations
dent Biden last week announced Manuel López Obrador Jan. 10 to discuss the US-Mexico-Canada relationship - White House photo and communities that are most im-
harsher restrictions on migrants at- EMS: President Biden announced pacted by the arrivals of migrants to
tempting to cross the US-Mexico really key leading up to this event. platform about the legal pathways Jan 5 the continuation of Title 42, the US-Mexico border, but also in
border without requisite immigra- One of them is understanding what’s that there are to migrate into the with harsher penalties for migrants the interior. I think we’re far from
tion documents. The announcement the Mexican strategy on migration United States and Mexico and Can- attempting to enter the US without that reality.
came ahead of his visit to the US- enforcement going forward. What ada. This announcement of a virtual papers. The proposal also allows Unfortunately, the Republican-
could happen from this if for ex- platform between the three countries
ample, Title 42 is continued, and to look at the legal pathways…is not
Mexico decides to continue accept- going to be the solution to the flows
ing expedited removals from the US at the border, but it will create some
to Mexico. Under what terms and for order, specifically for some groups
how long should we expect? that would otherwise venture to risk
The second component is spe- their migration journey through a
cifically looking at Mexican reforms smuggler.
on not only visas or on US visas and Then there’s another develop-
pathways not just from Mexico to the ment: creating a new center in south-
US, but also from Central America ern Mexico to talk about access to
to Mexico. Mexico had committed to legal pathways and partnerships with
providing increased access and legal Mexican private sector support. It’s es-
pathways to Central Americans in sentially trying to connect migrants,
that country. or would-be migrants to economic
On the Canadian front, we want options for them to consider staying
Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Policy Analyst to know the new commitments by either on the Central American side
at the Migration Policy Institute - MPI photo the Canadian government to accept of Guatemala or in Mexico before at- Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sits down with President Joe Biden Jan. 10
refugee resettlement from Central tempting to continue northward. in Mexico city - White House photo
Mexico border and his meeting with and Latin America. Canada has ac- This is not a new strategy, but it’s
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel tually committed to increasing refu- a good one. Private sector should be 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Ven- led House, and the Democrat-led
López Obrador and Canadian Prime gee resettlement by between two more involved. ezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti to en- Senate are likely going to be in a
Minister Justin Trudeau January 10 and 10%. But those really tend to be ter the country each month as part stalemate when thinking about what
afternoon in Mexico City. small numbers and obviously for all EMS: Does Mexico have the re- of a humanitarian parole program. to do in terms of providing humani-
The three leaders discussed a of Latin America, a very significant sources to absorb the massive How would you characterize the tarian access. We’ve seen this before.
wide range of topics, including im- geographically large region, it may numbers of migrants it now has to policy changes? It’s not new.
migration, climate change, economic come down to hundreds or small house and shelter? ARS: Let’s be frank about this. Republicans usually refuse to
policy that would encourage mi- thousands by country. ARS: Clearly Mexico doesn’t Even 30,000 people per month is not talk about anything on immigration
grants to remain in Mexico, and the have the resources available to in- enough to contain the flows or to until the border is secure. And there’s
trafficking of the opioid drug fentan- Investing in Mexico tegrate the migrants that it receives receive the flows that are arriving at not really a definition of what secure
yl, among other issues. As expected, Finally, what about investment from the United States. It doesn’t the Mexico border when we’re seeing border means, unfortunately. And
immigration dominated the discus- in the region? When the Biden ad- have the shelter capacity in Mexico. upwards of 70,000 per month. then the Democrats many times rely
sion. ministration came into power, there Most of the shelters are run by civil But the US Immigration system only on regularization and providing
“This is the moment for us to was a big call to try to rejuvenate ef- society organizations and mostly doesn’t really have any other tools to benefits to migrants rather than also
determine to do away with this aban- forts in investment in the region to through humanitarian programs or provide control enforcement at the considering options to improve con-
donment, this disdain and this for- address the root causes of migration. church affiliations. border right now that would apply trol at the US-Mexico border. So that
getfulness for Latin America and the But it seems like that priority But many migrants who are to these hemispheric flows. It doesn’t tension and stalemate will continue.
Caribbean,” López Obrador said Jan has gone to the back burner and now going to be expelled to Mexico are have enough ability to return mi-
9, ahead of the meeting. more issues about control and en- probably not going to stay in Mexico grants to the other countries, even Increase Resources at the Border
As Biden and Trudeau met with forcement have taken the forefront for a long term, specifically if they directly under regular removal. Now, that doesn’t mean that
Lopez Obrador, Ethnic Media Ser- in that discussion. But ideally Mex- are Cubans because they have family And parole — while it is an im- there may not be smaller pieces of
vices sat down with Ariel Ruiz Soto, ico, Canada and the US had already connections, networks, and reason- portant tool — is not sufficient in regulation that could actually work
policy analyst at the Migration Policy suggested plans to invest and provide ably sized financial access to diaspo- the long term. Parole does not nec- together. Democrats and Republi-
Institute to discuss the summit. Soto resources for the most devastated ra in Miami and other places in the essarily mean that people, after the cans agree that there has to be bet-
works with the US Immigration Pol- communities. United States. two years that they are given to come ter technology to screen and process
icy Program and the Latin America Now those are the big aspects of They’re most likely to try to en- into the country, will actually have a migrants when they come to US-
and Caribbean Initiative. what we would expect to come out ter multiple times. Title 42 expul- meaningful way to stay. That has not Mexico border. They both agree on
His research examines the in- of this. What we have seen from the sions mean that there are no conse- been the case with Ukrainians. It has increasing the number of Customs
teraction of migration policies in the White House readout and press on quences in processing for migrants, not been the case with the Afghan and Border Patrol officials as well as
region that stretches from Panama this is more general commitments to and therefore they can try four, five, migrants, and it may not be the case US immigration agents, and immi-
to Canada, as well as their intended continue discussions but also to con- six or seven times, just as Mexicans for Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicara- gration judges. And both agree that
and unintended consequences for tinue advancing principles, including do today. guans and Haitians. the capacity for shelter and deten-
foreign- and native-born popula- some that have been already identi- tion capacity as well as resources and
tions. Here are highlights from the fied under the Los Angeles Declara- Venezuelans Title 42 is Not Sustainable technology is severely underfunded
interview. tion. Venezuelans, on the other hand, In the announcement last week, at the US-Mexico border.
have very little knowledge of the US. President Biden was trying to figure Those are things that I think
EMS: What were your top priorities EMS: What concrete developments They have some family ties but not out how to ignite a more cohesive they can agree on, but they tend to be
for this summit? lie ahead? many. And after going through a sig- response with Mexico and Canada secondary to each of the party’s top
ARS: There’re a few things that ARS: One of them is the an- nificant journey, many of them just so that short-term measures actu- priorities and therefore lead to stale-
we’ve been following that have been nouncement of creating a virtual are frustrated and tired by the pro- ally give and buy some time for the mate. – Ethnic Media Services
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