- Title: Visiting El Salvador, U.S. Homeland Security chief applauds drop in migration
- Date: 29th August 2019
- Summary: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR (AUGUST 28, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF SALVADORAN PRESIDENT NAYIB BUKELE (RIGHT) POSING WITH ACTING U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KEVIN MCALEENAN VARIOUS OF MEETING BETWEEN BUKELE AND MCALEENAN GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE MCALEENAN SIGNING AGREEMENT AT LECTERN MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE SALVADORAN OFFICIAL SIGNING AGREEMENT, OFFICIALS SHOWING OFF AGREEMENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KEVIN MCALEENAN, SAYING: "The United States has already seen significant progress from your efforts. Since your inauguration just three months ago, CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) has observed a 60% decrease in crossing at the U.S. south-west border for individuals from El Salvador, demonstrating the success of your initiatives on both security and economic opportunity." GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTING U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KEVIN MCALEENAN, SAYING: "Very different situations, very different challenges and opportunities, different leadership moments, a brand new administration that is taking aggressive action versus the administrations that are in there last few months. So, we're going to meet our partners where they are and engage on productive development together. And some of that will involve asylum cooperation agreements, where we recognize each other's asylum systems and that helps us to ensure the integrity of migration flows. But in other countries we are not going to need that type of partnership, it will be more operational, or capacity building." GENERAL VIEW OF MCALEENAN AND BUKELE STANDING AT LECTERNS
- Embargoed: 12th September 2019 06:58
- Keywords: Acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan El Salvador San Salvador President Nayib Bukele
- Location: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
- City: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
- Country: El Salvador
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AU9T2RR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan signed a pact on Wednesday (August 28) to collaborate more closely with El Salvador on migration and security, applauding a drop in migration since new Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele took office.
U.S. officials have sought migration deals with Central American governments as they aim to fulfill U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to curb migrant flows.
Speaking alongside Bukele in San Salvador, McAleenan praised his host's efforts in reducing migration, saying the number of Salvadoran migrants reaching the United States' southern border was on pace to drop 60% since Bukele took office in June.
Under threat of sanctions, Guatemala agreed late last month to be designated as a "safe third country," meaning Hondurans and Salvadorans would be required to seek refuge in Guatemala, rather than proceeding north.
McAleenan suggested that such an agreement would not make sense with El Salvador, which has seen less migration in recent months than Guatemala and is less frequently traversed by U.S.-bound migrants from other countries.
The letter of intent signed by McAleenan and El Salvador's minister of justice and security calls for heightened collaboration between law enforcement, including more sharing of information such as biometric data, as well as boosting economic development in El Salvador.
Officials also discussed expanding Salvadorans' access to work visas in the United States, Bukele said.
Before leaving El Salvador on Friday (August 30), McAleenan will visit a joint law enforcement training center, tour a migration center and meet with human rights groups and business leaders, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
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