The United States announced this Wednesday new sanctions for company owners and executives of air, sea or land transportation companies that offer services to people whose purpose is to migrate irregularly to this country.
The new measure threatens visa restrictions for people whose companies allow this type of travel.. The measure expands one already in force that only applied to charter flights to Nicaragua.
From now on, as can be seen from the language, It would be global and would also include land and river transportation.
According to experts on immigration issues, although it would be difficult to prove, the rule announced by the State Department could affect transporters in countries like Colombia and others that offer this type of services to migrants whose final destination is the USA.
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“Today, the Department of State is implementing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) aimed at owners, executives and senior officials of charter flights and land and sea transportation companies that provide transportation services designed to be used primarily by people attempting to immigrate irregularly to the United States. This new policy expands and replaces the Nicaragua 3C policy on charter flights issued in November 2023,” said the spokesperson for this agency, Mathew Miller, in a statement.
According to Miller, “the policy targets transport operations that prey on vulnerable migrants and facilitate irregular migration around the world and to the United States. “Those who arrive in the United States without a legal basis often pay extortion prices and put themselves and their accompanying family members at risk, only to be subjected to deportation proceedings under U.S. immigration laws.”
Policy targets transportation operations that prey on vulnerable migrants and facilitate irregular migration
Miller added that no one should be taking advantage of vulnerable migrants.
“Not smugglers, not private companies, not public officials or governments. We will continue to collaborate with governments and the private sector, both inside and outside the region, to eliminate this exploitative practice,” the government said.
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As has been reported, In Colombia, various boat companies and others offer migrants a way to cross the feared Darién Gap on his journey to the USA.
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The adjustment made by the State Department this Wednesday suggests that they could be exposed to the new sanctions announced. The same could be said of other transportation companies, air or land, if it could be demonstrated that they were aware of the intention to migrate to the United States of those who contracted the service.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
TIME CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
On X (formerly Twitter): @sergom68
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