The United States this Friday (06/01/2023) opened the process for citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti to apply for humanitarian permits to enter their territories legally, as they have been doing with Venezuelans since October.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official, Blas Núñez Neto, said in a telephone press conference that the US embassies were not involved in this case because it is a process that can be conducted online and is the only thing needed is the gateway to the network and a sponsor on US soil.
Núñez Neto emphasized that the Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS, in English) staff already have “trained and ready” staff to receive applications from Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians, and assured that the system has the capacity to handle 30,000 permits to process per month.
The process is initiated by a sponsor
The Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Border Policy and Immigration at DHS indicated that the process must be initiated by the US sponsor and that the potential beneficiaries can start the process once confirmed by US authorities.
The person in charge of the DHS stressed that after completing all the procedures and having a travel authorization from the USA, the beneficiaries must buy their own ticket for the US territory.
After receiving the humanitarian residence permit, those affected can stay in the USA for two years with a work permit.
Núñez Neto warned that those entering the United States irregularly will be “ineligible” for this procedure and will face deportation to Mexico.
With the inclusion of Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans, the program the United States launched last October is expanding to issue 24,000 permits to Venezuelan migrants while deporting those who cross the border into Mexico without permits.
They ask not to risk their lives by sea
Faced with the “significant increase” in sea migration, Núñez Neto urged migrants not to venture out to sea as they would risk their lives.
“We are seeing, as you saw last weekend, a significant increase in maritime immigration from Cuba and Haiti, putting migrants’ lives at risk because the dangerous situation at sea is really impressive,” he said.
jc (efe, afp)