Costa Rica Clarifies Immigration Agreement with U.S.

Acting Foreign Minister Lorena Aguilar clarified this Wednesday that the United States has not asked Costa Rica to join the migratory agreements that it negotiates with other Central American countries, and which are rejected here.

After a meeting with the Ambassador of the northern power, Sharon Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship noted in a press release that Aguilar met with Day 'to discuss' the information recently published.

The participants also analyzed the examination of applications for protection with the Central American countries of the Northern Triangle (Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala), and in this regard the diplomatic representative clarified that her Government 'has not requested that Costa Rica join these agreements.'

The note adds that during the meeting, the U.S. ambassador 'congratulated the government of Costa Rica for all the efforts it is making in addressing the situation in relation to the flow of migrants, and highlighted the positive results of intense bilateral cooperation on security and its desire to strengthen this.'

On Monday, Broad Front (FA) Congressman José María Villalta asked the Costa Rican government not to sign any agreement with the United States that violates the human rights of migrants.

A point of order submitted by the deputy before the Plenary of the Legislative Assembly considers that 'Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, publicly announced that President Donald Trump invited Costa Rica and Panama to sign an immigration agreement like the one he signed on July 26, 2019, with Guatemala.'

It adds that this migration agreement is called 'Cooperation Agreement for the Assessment of Protection Requests' and known as the 'safe third country' agreement.

The point of order also notes that Foreign Minister, Manuel Ventura, has reported that 'there is still no official request from the Government of the United States to sign the migratory agreement.'

Therefore, it is requested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 'in the event that this request is formalized, present to the deputies of the Legislative Assembly a copy of the drafts of the eventual migratory agreement with the United States.'