U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on European Charter Airline Officials in Response to Irregular Migration
The Biden administration has announced new measures to address the increase in irregular migration to the United States via Nicaragua. On Wednesday, the U.S. government imposed visa restrictions on senior officials of a European charter airline, alleging that the company has facilitated irregular migration by offering flights to Nicaragua for that purpose.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, explained that these actions are in response to the growing trend of charter airlines operating flights to Nicaragua primarily for irregular migrants. While the government did not reveal the name of the airline affected, Miller emphasized that the measure aims to prevent smugglers, private companies, and public officials from profiting off the vulnerability of migrants.
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Miller highlighted that the imposed visa restrictions are part of a global policy, which will also apply to individuals eligible for the Visa Waiver Program. He further stated that the U.S. will continue to take action against any transportation company involved in promoting irregular migration.
Additionally, the U.S. government has issued a series of sanctions and warnings to companies facilitating irregular migration to Nicaragua, whether by land or air. The Biden administration has pointed out that Nicaragua has contributed to this phenomenon by eliminating visa requirements for migrants from countries with high migration flows, such as Cuba.
Experts suggest that Nicaragua’s strategy to facilitate irregular migration could be a tactic to pressure Washington in response to sanctions imposed on Managua. These sanctions arose in the context of the sociopolitical crisis that has affected Nicaragua since 2018, a conflict that has resulted in over 300 deaths and thousands of exiles.
The new visa restrictions reflect a more stringent approach by the U.S. administration to control irregular migration and pressure those involved in facilitating this phenomenon.
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