Central American countries offer plan to curb migration to US

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The governments of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala presented US officials with a plan yesterday to boost economic growth in the poor countries and stem the flow of migration to the United States.

 

Foreign ministers from the three nation’s presented “The Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle,” which includes development projects to boost jobs and proposals to strengthen the region’s weak judicial institutions, according to a US state department official.

There were no immediate details on the plan, which was developed with the help of the Inter-American Development Bank, or how much it could cost.

A surge of unaccompanied children this year to the southwestern US border has pushed the United States, Mexico and Central American nations to seek new strategies to curb the number of children and families trying to get into US territory.

“(The) plan aims to focus efforts in the communities of origin for the migrant population, in order to aid the creation of better conditions … and discourage the irregular migration that puts their lives and safety at risk,” said Hugo Martinez, El Salvador’s foreign minister, according to a statement.

Mexican officials also joined the meeting that took place during the United Nations’ general assembly this week.

Mexico has stepped up efforts on its southern border to deter Central American migrants from crossing through Mexico to get to the United States.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called Mexico’s strategy to deter young unaccompanied migrants “very, very aggressive.” Mexico has boosted the number of immigration agents and it has increased policing of rail lines where migrants hop trains headed north.