LOS ANGELES, June 10 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and fellow Western Hemisphere leaders on Friday launched a new set of measures to address the regional migration crisis, seeking to save a summit of America affected by the division.
Biden’s aides had promoted the declaration of migration as a centerpiece of the United States-sponsored Summit of the Americas, and 20 countries joined him in the ceremonial presentation of the plan, although several others stayed away. .
To culminate the last day of the summit, the White House promoted a series of migrant programs agreed upon by countries in the hemisphere and Spain, attending as an observer, which committed to a more cooperative approach. But analysts were skeptical that the promises were significant enough to make a significant difference.
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These measures include the United States and Canada pledging to hire more guest workers, providing ways for people from poorer countries to work in richer countries and other countries that accept greater protection for migrants. Mexico will also accept more Central American workers, according to a White House statement.
“We are transforming our approach to managing migration in the Americas,” Biden said. “Each of us adheres to commitments that recognize the challenges we all share.”
The flags of 20 countries, far less than the number of people attending the summit, adorned the stage where Biden led the deployment. But that figure was only reached after days of American pressure.
It was another sign of tensions that have littered the summit, undermining Biden’s efforts to reaffirm U.S. leadership and counter China’s growing economic footprint in the region.
This message was overshadowed by the boycott of several leaders, including the president of Mexico, to protest Washington’s exclusion of left-wing US antagonists Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The training was reduced to 21 visiting heads of state and government.
The administration, in the face of a record influx of illegal migrants on its southern border, pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Venezuelan migrants, renewed the procedure for family visas for Cubans and Haitians and facilitated recruitment. of Central American workers. Read more
The announcements were part of the presentation of the US-led pact called the “Los Angeles Declaration” and aimed to extend responsibility for the region to contain the migration problem.
The plan culminates in a summit designed to re-establish U.S. influence among its southern neighbors after years of relative neglect under former President Donald Trump. Biden proposed an economic partnership to help recover from the region’s pandemic, although it appears to be a work in progress.
But at the opening of the summit on Thursday, the leaders of Argentina and small Belize rebuked Biden for the guest list, underlining the challenge the global superpower has in restoring its status among its poorest neighbors.
On Friday, Chile, Bolivia, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda joined in the criticism, although Biden was not present.
“No one should exclude another country,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who replaced President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said from the podium.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Colombian President Ivan Duque, and other heads of delegation pose for a family photo during the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, USA June 2022. REUTERS / Mike Blake
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This week’s sessions sounded regular with the march “The Liberty Bell” by American composer John Philip Sousa, popularized by the classic British comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”.
“THERE’S NOTHING HERE”
U.S. officials fought to the last minute to persuade skeptical governments to support the plan.
Leaders pledged in the statement to “strengthen national, regional and hemispheric efforts to create the conditions for safe, orderly, humane and regular migration.”
Together with his fellow leaders, Biden insisted that “illegal migration is not acceptable” and expressed hope that other countries would join the plan.
Eric Olson, policy director at the Seattle International Foundation, called the statement a “useful framework,” but said it would likely have limited short-term effects because it is not binding.
Some of the initiatives listed by the White House were announced earlier. Biden’s aides have unveiled the immigration plan in part to help alleviate labor shortages in the United States.
Jorge Castaneda, a former Mexican foreign minister, said America’s promises should allow Washington to argue that it had made big commitments, an internal “political plus” for Biden. But he added: “Basically, there’s nothing here.”
Mexico, whose border with the United States is the main point of migration, supported the statement, despite the non-presentation of López Obrador.
The absence of leaders from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador at the summit – the northern triangle where many migrants come from – has raised doubts about the effectiveness of the promises. U.S. officials insisted the turnout did not stop Washington from getting results.
The statement includes commitments from several countries, including Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Belize and Ecuador. However, the promises of Brazil, the most populous nation in Latin America, were not mentioned.
The announcement did not include any U.S. commitments on additional work visas for Mexicans. That would be part of Lopez Obrador’s visit to Biden next month, an official said.
Spain has pledged to “double the number of jobs” for Hondurans, the White House said. Madrid’s temporary work program enrolls 250 Hondurans, suggesting that only a small increase is expected.
Curbing irregular migration is a priority for Biden. Republicans, seeking to regain control of Congress in the November election, have slammed the Democratic president for reversing Republican Trump’s restrictive immigration policies.
But migration has had to compete with Biden’s other major challenges, such as high inflation, mass shootings and the war in Ukraine.
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Featured by Humeyra Pamuk, Daina Beth Solomon, Dave Graham, Matt Spetalnick, Trevor Hunnicutt, Lisanda Paraguassu and Ted Hesson; written by Matt Spetalnick; Edited by Jonathan Oatis, Alistair Bell and Grant McCool
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