Central American migrants feel excluded from the US “humanitarian parole” program

Some Central American migrants say they feel excluded from the new humanitarian parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans announced by the Joe Biden administration last week.

Vilma Vázquez, a Honduran migrant, said from Reynosa, Mexico, that she feels sad and frustrated and asked that they “give them an opportunity” to enter the program “because there are a lot of Central Americans who come [a EEUU] fleeing from crime, from poverty as well,” he said.

For his part, Salvadoran migrant Erasmo Torres, who is also in Reynosa, said he aspires to enter the job market in the US and that he emigrated “with the goal of working to survive.”

On the other hand, there is joy and enthusiasm among migrants from countries in the security parole program that the new process will offer to those who do qualify.

For Fortino López Balcazar, president of the International Association for Human Rights, an organization that helps migrants, the new migration process is positive and will prevent kidnappings, abuse and even death.

“It is a way of giving them protection,” López said, adding that irregular migrants suffer violations of their human rights “by authorities and by people.”

The US humanitarian parole program announced last week is an enlargement than was available since October for Venezuelans, and offers a way to legally travel to the US for nationals of Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela who have a sponsor and meet certain requirements.

To be eligible, a person needs to have a sponsor in the US and pass security requirements if approved. Afterwards, you will be able to travel to the United States by plane and live and work legally in the country for two years.

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