The embassy in the US of the interim government asks to increase the quota of the ‘parole’ for Venezuelan migrants

Given the recent denial of entry of Venezuelan citizens to the United States and the subsequent measure of accepting only 24,000, as long as they meet the requirements, the representation of the interim Government of Venezuela in Washington DC has asked the administration of President Joe Biden to increase the quota of acceptance of this parole humanitarian.

“We say this because if we see the average of what has been entering the southern border in recent months, in the case of Venezuelan citizens, in August there were just over 25,000,” he tells the voice of america Brian Fincheltub, Director of Consular Affairs at the Venezuelan Embassy.

Meanwhile, interested citizens who meet the requirements -such as not having another nationality, not having been deported from any other country, or passing a biometric test- can start the process on the website of the immigration and citizenship service.

“This is a new process. Both countries, the United States and Mexico, are going to be closely reviewing how it works,” explains the Undersecretary for Border Policy and Immigration of the Department of Homeland Security, Blas Núñez, who does not rule out an increase in the quota. “If it has the effect that we understand on the border and if it is working well and reducing irregular immigration, we will surely review the numbers and it may be that they will increase.”

The norm established by the US authorities dictates that any Venezuelan citizen who tries to cross the border will be returned to Mexico.

In this sense, expert immigration attorney Jodi Goodwin explains that Venezuelans who were close to requesting asylum at the border still have options to continue with the procedures:

“If they are people with vulnerabilities, I am talking about medical situations or if they have been kidnapped or present an imminent danger there in Mexico, I suggest that they have to ask for one of the exceptions to be able to enter the United States legally”

On the other hand, the lawyer warns that if they cross the border under Title 42, an immigration policy that allowed the expulsion of migrants due to the COVID-19 emergency, they will be detained and will have to present their asylum application “with a judge. of immigration, but detained”.

Title 42, established during the presidency of Republican Donald Trump, has been questioned by several organizations that fight for the rights of migrant migrants.

Damaris Rangel, president of the Human Rights Foundation with DRç, is one of the people who condemns him for considering that the fact of returning people immediately at the border is “restricting the right to request international protection.”

A similar opinion has the immigration lawyer Gunter Sanabria:

“People who were on their way have stopped coming or are staying in Mexico or Panama. The people who are asking if they should come or not and start the journey as planned, then the effect that this law is causing and how it is being promoted is indeed stopping immigration,” Sanabria points out.

The governments of Mexico and the United States are waiting to see how migratory flows are going to be reconfigured in order to continue making adjustments.

In the last year, Mexico demanded the condition of presenting a visa to the citizens of Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador. It also imposed restrictions on the entry of Colombians due to the increase in migrants trying to reach the United States through the southern border.

[Con la colaboración de Júlia Riera, periodista de VOA, desde Barcelona]

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