Guests from the west: US and Spain embark on new migration partnership

IN AN unprecedented move, the government of the United States announced a plan to send migrants to third countries including Spain and Canada.

The plan was announced on Thursday, April 27, as part of the country’s efforts to manage the flow migrants arriving into the country.

The migrants’ applications for residency will be processed through legal processing centres set up in South and Central American countries including Colombia and Guatemala.

The move comes as the US seeks to reduce the number of migrants crossing the border with Mexico, with the suspension of Title 42, a controversial policy allowing authorities to expel migrants without first hearing their cases.

According to a statement by the Department of State and Homeland Security, the measures will be implemented in close coordination with regional partners including the governments of Canada, Spain, Colombia and Guatemala.

Under the plan, migrants will be evaluated at processing centres where they will be given access to legal pathways for migration, including refugee status, family reunification programmes and work permits in the US. The facilities will be managed by international organisations, and migrants will be referred to Canada and Spain for resettlement.

“This move is aimed at making legal pathways for migration more accessible from Central and South America, to prevent people from taking dangerous routes,” said a government official.

The move is part of a broader effort by the US to manage immigration flows as it prepares to lift the Title 42 policy on Thursday, May 11. Since its introduction in 2020, the policy has resulted in the expulsion of over 2.5 million migrants.

For Spain, the US decision to send migrants to the country could have both positive impacts. It could be seen as a recognition of Spain’s capacity to manage immigration and could provide an opportunity for the country to strengthen its ties with the US.