City
Epaper

US, Guatemala sign immigration asylum deal

By IANS | Updated: July 27, 2019 08:15 IST

The US and Guatemala on Friday afternoon inked a deal on immigration asylum, days after President Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs on the Central American country.

Open in App

At the White House, the two sides on Friday signed the so-called "safe third country" agreement, requiring migrants who pass through Guatemala to seek asylum there rather than heading to the US, Xinhua reported.

Witnessing the signing ceremony, Trump told reporters that the pact will put "coyotes and the smugglers out of business."

Trump has long been criticizing the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America, namely Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, accusing them of having not done enough to prevent their citizens from leaving to seek asylum in the United States and has tried to cut aid to them as punishment.

Under the deal, asylum seekers from Honduras and El Salvador, who have to traverse Guatemala on their way up to the US, will be directed to seek protection there.

The deal came days after Trump on Tuesday threatened to impose tariffs and other penalties on Guatemala, after the Central American nation's high court blocked its government from signing an asylum deal with Washington.

Earlier this month, Guatemala's high court ruled that Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales could not commit to the deal with the US side without the approval of the nation's parliament.

It was still unclear how Morales will implement the agreement, given the Guatemala's court ruling.

The White House has been tough on immigration, an issue expected to be widely discussed in the days leading up to the 2020 presidential election.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: GuatemalatrumpJimmy MoralesusWhite House
Open in App

Related Stories

International‘Not Going To Get Involved in Middle of War’: JD Vance Over India-Pakistan Tensions

NationalOperation Sindoor: PM Narendra Modi Calls For All-Party Meeting On May 8 After India Strikes On Pakistan Terror Camps

InternationalColorado Nightclub Raid: Over 100 Illegal Immigrants Detain at Underground Nightclub in US; Video Surfaces

BusinessGlobal Tech Firms Eye India for Manufacturing Amid US-China Tensions

InternationalIllinois Plane Crash: 4 Killed After Cessna C180G Aircraft Goes Down After Hitting Power Lines in Trilla

International Realted Stories

InternationalIndia insisted on direct communication between the DGMOs, rejecting any third-party assurances: Sources

InternationalMuslim World League welcomes 'ceasefire agreement' between India and Pakistan

InternationalMore than 100 terrorists captured in Judea, Samaria

InternationalCrown Prince of Abu Dhabi arrives in Astana on official visit

InternationalJaishankar talks to Egyptian FM, emphasises importance of "zero tolerance" for terrorism