16 MAR 2023
ICYMI: Former Presidents of Colombia and Costa Rica Speak Out Against U.S. Asylum Rollbacks
Both argue that proposed Biden administration asylum restrictions undermine much-needed cooperation as called for in LA Declaration on Migration and Protection
Former Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos: “The LA Declaration’s implementation, however, is imperiled by a hard-to-shake impulse, especially in the United States–the pursuit of short-term, imposed solutions thought to deter migration. The Biden Administration´s recent proposal to limit access to asylum is just such a misguided move.”
Former Costa Rican President Alvarado Quesada: “If the objective is to spur economic growth fueling the creation of good-paying jobs, the United States should be expanding legal pathways for migration, not shrinking them.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, former Colombian President and Nobel Peace Laureate, Juan Manuel Santos, and Costa Rican President, Carlos Alverada Quesada, published separate opinion pieces regarding migration in the Americas, and both criticized the Biden administration for undermining hemispheric cooperation with its short-sighted proposal to restrict asylum access in the United States.
Just last summer, 21 different countries – including the United States – collaborated to adopt the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. Its purpose is to bring together the nations of the Americas to manage and mitigate migration in the hemisphere. Both Colombia and Costa Rica have been leaders in welcoming those fleeing dangerous dictatorships, with Colombia welcoming an estimated 2.5 million Venezuelans and Costa Rica welcoming nearly 400,000 Nicaraguans. In their op-eds, these former leaders criticized the U.S. government for calling for cooperation on refugee flows while restricting asylum at home. Both argue that limited access to asylum in the U.S. will put enormous pressure on countries on the front lines of the forced migration challenge, making the shared goal of enhanced cooperation more difficult.
The opinion pieces come on the heels of President Biden’s latest asylum policy that will upend our asylum laws. This move will undermine U.S. leadership on refugee and migration issues – globally and regionally – resulting in less cooperation from allies and more chaos at the southern border.
In case you missed it…
El País: Time for the Americas to step up (again) on migration
By Former Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos
As president of Colombia, faced with never-before-seen levels of migration from Venezuela, I signed the first decree to regularize Venezuelans in Colombia, setting a precedent for my country’s welcoming response…I acted out of a sense of solidarity and generosity, both of which have served my country well. Numerous countries in the region are similarly doing their part for Venezuelans and other people on the move…The reception of these populations has not always been smooth, nor without controversy and tension…But the experiences across Latin America and the Caribbean stand as important examples of how opportunity can be found in unprecedented levels of human mobility and that host communities can effectively and humanely absorb newcomers.
The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, fashioned by 21 countries at last year’s Summit of the Americas, builds on this legacy of reception and opens the door to a new, more effective future for migration management in the Americas…The LA Declaration’s implementation, however, is imperiled by a hard-to-shake impulse, especially in the United States–the pursuit of short-term, imposed solutions thought to deter migration. The Biden Administration´s recent proposal to limit access to asylum is just such a misguided move.
Any burden dumping approach on this side of the Atlantic would be manifestly unfair and run against the spirit of fraternity and solidarity that Colombia and Latin America have demonstrated. It would put unsustainable pressure on countries that have led by example, like Colombia, which is already showing unhelpful signs of backsliding. Compelling us to absorb even larger numbers could make it harder to preserve policies that have stabilized migrant populations. As it has in Europe, it would further incentivize migrants to enlist the support of smugglers to evade detection at borders.
The Hill: What Biden’s deeply troubling asylum limit means for the economy
By Former Costa Rican President Carlos Alverada Quesada
Biden’s turn to robust industrial policy is bringing jobs back, for the well-being — and pride — of the United States, as he himself said in the State of the Union. According to the U.S. Labor Department, however, the country faces a declining labor force and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is warning “we hear every day from our member companies — of every size and industry, across nearly every state — they’re facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs.” If the objective is to spur economic growth fueling the creation of good-paying jobs, the United States should be expanding legal pathways for migration, not shrinking them.
The new limits on asylum also fly in the face of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection adopted at last year’s Summit of the Americas. The declaration marked a turning point, with the United States recognizing migration management as a shared responsibility for the first time. The declaration’s holistic approach is essential to finding sustainable solutions given the economic and migration realities in the Americas today.
Rising to the moment in the Americas also requires finding new ways to foster sustainable economic development and democracy. The ongoing realignment of global supply chains represents a generational opportunity for the Western Hemisphere to become a synergetic, sustainable and productive region. One from which the region can emerge as a block of shared prosperity that advances human, environmental and economic well-being — in short, a place where our people can thrive without having to seek a better future elsewhere.
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