UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi, in statements to VOA, referred to the displacement crisis in Central America and the “avalanche of Haitians” across the continent. In addition, he spoke of adjustments to the southern border of the United States
Text: Celia Mendoza
The head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said he is in contact with Venezuela to resolve the exodus that afflicts millions of Venezuelans who have left their country.
“We are talking more and more with Venezuela to see what should be done, because maybe some people want to return or what should be done to create conditions again, and that people can return to their country,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to the Voice of America.
According to the most recent UNHCR report, published last week, more than 103 million people have had to leave their countries and travel around the world, and Venezuela ranks as the second country with the most refugees (6.5 million) in abroad, being surpassed only by Syria, which reaches about seven million.
For Grandi, this continues to be one of the great challenges in the region, despite the fact that he highlighted the work of countries such as Colombia, Ecuador or the Dominican Republic in this regard.
Likewise, he pointed out that Central America does not escape the migratory challenges. The High Commissioner highlighted that in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, citizens continue to be victims of the action of criminal gangs and non-state actors, which forces them to flee, in the midst, moreover, of poverty and the influence of change climate.
But, above all, he stressed, he is concerned about “the situation in Nicaragua, which unfortunately has produced a significant displacement, especially towards Costa Rica.”
Regarding the situation in Haiti, Grandi emphasized the importance of “the avalanche of movement of Haitians” who move through the region. Some, even, who are not leaving their country, but have remained in other nations for years. In this regard, he stated that the main recommendation is that “people should not be returned to Haiti at this particular time with the fragility of the country.”
*Also read: The US deported more than 5,000 Venezuelan migrants to Mexico in 13 days
The US southern border and UNHCR
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees also told VOA that he is willing to continue discussions with the US administration on improving the “enormous flaws” that have affected the southern border and on “how to help the US government.” to eliminate the backlog of asylum applications of hundreds of thousands over the years, probably the largest backlog in the world in that regard.
Although he emphasized that the issue is complex, due to some restrictions caused by the pandemic, and reiterated his disagreement with Title 42, he said that the UN continues with a “quite constructive” discussion with Mexico, the United States and other countries to find solutions to regard.
Grandi also referred to the Los Angeles Declaration, announced at the Summit of the Americas last June, in which governments “reaffirmed their willingness to deepen cooperation and align policies to reduce irregular migration.”
«The declaration made by all the States of the region on the population movement was very positive, which we strongly support. It must be implemented by working together to try to address these complicated flaws,” the UNHCR spokesperson said.
Millions of people in the world are assisted by the United Nations Refugee Agency, but the UNHCR operation could be affected due to its insufficient financial resources.
[Con la colaboración de Karen Sánchez, periodista de VOA, en Bogotá]
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