8 immigrants, most from Venezuela, die after being pulled over in the US
The United States announced this Thursday (5) that it has reached an agreement with the government of President Nicolás Maduro for the direct repatriation of Venezuelans to their country.
US President Joe Biden is accused of causing a refugee crisis at the border with Mexico.
According to official data, the border patrol intercepted more than 100,000 Venezuelans at the border with Mexico between May and the end of August this year. In the same period last year the number was around 43,000.
Given this situation, Biden offered 18 months of migration assistance to 472,000 Venezuelans so they could obtain residence and work permits. However, this only applies to those who arrived in the country before July 31, 2023.
Anyone who enters the country after this date and has no legal reason to remain in the USA will be deported.
“The United States will resume the return to Venezuela of Venezuelans who have no legal basis to remain in the United States,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement, ensuring that “Venezuelan authorities” gave their consent.
In a statement, the Maduro government confirmed the agreement, which “allows for the orderly, safe and legal repatriation of Venezuelan citizens from the United States through the Back Home program.”
The deportation will begin quickly, an American official said during a telephone news conference, asking not to reveal his identity.
The US government has already identified detained people who will be quickly deported in the coming days.
US sanctions against Venezuela
The American government has expressed willingness to gradually lift financial sanctions it has imposed on the country if Maduro and the opposition reach an agreement for elections scheduled for next year.
The US government is demanding that the elections in which Maduro is seeking a new term in office be free and fair.
Around 7 million of Venezuela’s 30 million people left their country due to a crisis that led to an 80% drop in GDP in ten years.