Migrants process applications to participate in the Safe Mobility Project

Guatemala City Four Guatemalan departments began receiving requests from people wishing to migrate through the Safe Mobility Program launched by the governments of the United States and Guatemala with the aim of discouraging irregular migration from Central America.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) told The Associated Press that recruitment began in late June and interviews were conducted with people who seek asylum, to be reunited with their families or to reach US territory. visa to find out whether they are eligible or not. for the program.

The Care Center for Migrants and Refugees, located in the departments of Quetzaltenango, Izabal, San Marcos and Chiquimula, began with online interviews and has so far received more than 1,500 applications to enroll in the program through the Enable website. IOM said. Those who have already applied are from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

requests are made via the web https://movilidadsegura.org It is administered by the US government, the IOM and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Each applicant has to register by visiting the site and fill up the online application.

Interested parties must be at least 18 years old, have a valid email and phone number, or have an international data plan. In addition, they will be asked to have a stable internet connection, digital photographs of themselves and their relatives, as well as scanned copies or photographs of their identity documents.

According to the website, all people covered by the Central American Free Mobility Agreement (known as CA-4), that is, citizens of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua in their respective countries, can apply. However, “not everyone who requests an evaluation will qualify for or benefit from the program,” the website says.

With the opening of centers funded by the United States, Washington seeks to organize the flow of people to countries such as Guatemala that are used as transit points for migrants fleeing poverty and violence in the region.

According to experts, between 300 and 500 Guatemalans leave the country every day. Guatemala’s economy is supported by remittances sent to the country by migrants, which is estimated to reach around $20,000 million this year.

This initiative coincides with Termination of Title 42an immigration ban implemented during the pandemic that immediately deported immigrants who arrived at US borders without processing their applications, and the decision to uphold Title 8 which toughens restrictions for those who enter without permission intend to cross the border.

According to official figures, since 2020, when Title 42 was invoked, more than 60,000 Guatemalans have been deported.