The recent inclusion of Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti to apply to a parole humanitarian law and entering the United States in an orderly manner, could be an opportunity for fraudsters to take advantage of migrants, experts tell the Voice of America.
From charges for being a sponsor of a person who wants to apply for this new benefit, to deception to pay for applying to the paroleare some of the risks that experts warn migrants about.
And it is that he parole humanitarian initially applied to VenezuelaHowever, it was recently extended to Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans, that under this benefit the entry of at least 30,000 people per month would be allowed on a regular basis and with work permits for two years.
However, because it is something new for these three nationalities, the organizations warn of the risks. In fact, the United States has launched some messages through its embassies, as it did recently in Cuba.
“Access to the process of parole is free. Neither the US-based supporter nor the beneficiary in Cuba are required to pay a fee to file the form or to be considered. Beware of scams from anyone who asks you for money,” the US embassy in Havana warned on Tuesday.
Astrid Montealegre, lawyer and collaborator of the Nicaraguan American Human Rights Alliance (NAHRA) Foundation, told the voice of america “Historically” when these programs are advertised, notarial fraud or fraud in general comes up a lot, and this happens because many people are willing to fill out the forms or provide support in exchange for a payment for services without considering whether the person qualify or not.
Montealegre assured that most of the time these people are not lawyers, and do not have legal knowledge. “That worries us, that there are so many desperate people looking to get out of their country that they may find others who are going to defraud them, accept their money when they might not qualify for this program.”
According to data From the United States Office of Customs and Border Protection, more than 164,000 Nicaraguans were detected by authorities during fiscal year 2022, while the number of Cubans found in the same period at the southern border was 224,000.
Apply is free
Montealegre stressed that the program is completely free and stressed that there is no cost to submit the sponsor’s application.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCISfor its acronym in English) recommends in its Web that in case of needing legal advice on immigration matters, the person must make sure that the person helping him is authorized by an attorney or accredited representative who works for an organization recognized by the Department of Justice.
Lawyer Cindy Blandón, a specialist in immigration issues with an office in Miami, Florida, has accompanied at least three Nicaraguans in the process of applying for parole humanitarian and their cases have been “pre-approved”.
However, he recommended that people who want to do this process on their own and avoid scams should always apply directly to the federal government pages, which is the USCIS.
The lawyer stressed that you have to be careful of scammers who can send messages to your email posing as the federal government.
“The federal government is never going to ask you for money to advance in what are the applications of a parole”, he indicated.
On the other hand, Blandón added that charging for sponsoring a migrant is a crime and can be considered human trafficking since the form does not ask for economic remuneration from the beneficiary to the sponsor.
“That is why the first stage is carried out by the sponsor because the federal government does have a criminal record and has been involved in what is human trafficking,” he settled.
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