Current:Home > ContactEl Salvador slaps a $1,130 fee on African and Indian travelers as US pressures it to curb migration -Ascend Finance Compass
El Salvador slaps a $1,130 fee on African and Indian travelers as US pressures it to curb migration
View
Date:2025-04-12 05:34:31
MEXICO CITY (AP) — El Salvador’s government has begun slapping a $1,130 fee on travelers from dozens of countries connecting through the nation’s main airport, amid U.S. pressure to help control migration flows to its southern border.
Since the end of October, citizens of 57 largely African countries and India have had to pay the fee, according to El Salvador’s aviation authority.
Aviation officials did not say whether the measure was aimed at reducing migration and have described the tariff as an “airport improvement fee,” but El Salvador’s government acknowledged an uptick in travelers from those countries this year. Also, the U.S. has been pressuring Central American countries to curb migration flows to its border with Mexico. U.S. authorities say they stopped migrants there more than 2 million times during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
El Salvador’s aviation authority said most passengers who have to pay the fee are headed to Nicaragua on the commercial airline Avianca. Because of its lax visa requirements, Nicaragua is a transit point for migrants from Haiti and Cuba, as well as from Africa, who are trying to reach the U.S.
Earlier this year, for example, U.S. officials were surprised by an increase in Mauritanian migrants arriving at the southern border. No natural disaster, coup or sudden economic collapse could explain it. Rather, travel agencies and social media influencers were promoting a multileg trip that took migrants from the west African nation to Nicaragua.
A flight itinerary of one Senegalese migrant seen by The Associated Press showed the migrant passing through Morocco, Spain and El Salvador before landing in Managua. The last two legs were aboard Avianca flights.
El Salvador’s aviation authority and immigration agency both said they did not have data on how many migrants from the listed countries had transited the country this year.
A U.S. embassy spokesperson declined to say whether the U.S. had requested the fee. But the ability to help the U.S. control migration could be a political boon for El Salvador President Nayib Bukele as he seeks reelection despite a constitutional prohibition and faces scrutiny for his human rights record.
During President Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. policy toward El Salvador prioritized reining in migration above all else and Bukele heard no public criticism from the U.S. as he began to consolidate power. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. has been openly critical of Bukele’s record on democracy and human rights.
The U.S. State Department alleged that Bukele’s war against powerful street gangs has resulted in “torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, and other related abuses” to tens of thousands of people detained. His government has also gone after journalists, activists and critics.
But migration now appears to be back at the top of the bilateral agenda for the two countries as Biden also seeks reelection.
While the Biden administration has said Central American nations “ need to step up and do more” to control migration, not all of them have received the request with open arms.
“Most governments have recognized that what is of clear interest to the United States is migration and so therefore it becomes a bargaining chip,” said Pamela Ruiz, Central America analyst for International Crisis Group. “They will either become partners or adversaries on this issue.”
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador have worked with the U.S. to open centers for migrants looking to request asylum, apply for family reunification or temporary work permits.
On the other hand, Nicaragua has opened its doors to hundreds of charter flights carrying tens of thousands of U.S.-bound Cuban and Haitian migrants in recent months.
The flights — which one analyst described as Nicaragua “weaponizing migration as a foreign policy” — were met by a fierce warning from the Biden administration.
“We are exploring the full range of possible consequences for those who facilitate this form of irregular migration,” wrote U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols in a post on X, formerly Twitter, this month. Haiti’s government announced the charter flights were being temporarily suspended.
As Bukele again came under criticism in recent weeks as he registered to seek reelection in 2024, the Biden administration was cautious in its remarks.
“There has to be a broad debate about the legality and legitimacy of the election, but it is a debate for Salvadorans,” Nichols said during a recent visit to El Salvador and ahead of a meeting with Bukele.
The comments were a sharp contrast to condemnations of “anti-democratic behavior ” in neighboring Guatemala’s elections months earlier.
Bukele “is willing to cooperate on immigration by banning certain nationalities by charging them a ridiculous fee in order to not get critiqued on the international level,” said Ruiz, of Crisis Group. “Part of me wonders ... we will not critique the Bukele administration as much because it’s supposedly reducing the levels of migrants?”
___
Associated Press writer Marcos Alemán in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
veryGood! (8411)
Related
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- DA says gun charge dropped against NYC lawmaker seen with pistol at protest because gun did not work
- COSRX Snail Mucin: Everything You Want to Know About the Viral Beauty Product but Were Afraid to Ask
- Maine lobsterman jumps from boat to help rescue a driver from a car submerged in a bay
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Ukrainian marines claim multiple bridgeheads across a key Russian strategic barrier
- Struggling with what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? These tips can keep the host happy.
- Why “Mama Bear” Paris Hilton Hit Back at Negative Comments About Her Baby Boy Phoenix
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Trump returns to Iowa for another rally and needles the state’s governor for endorsing DeSantis
Ranking
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Russian parliament passes record budget, boosting defense spending and shoring up support for Putin
- Ruling by Senegal’s highest court blocks jailed opposition leader Sonko from running for president
- Kim Kardashian Turns Heads With New Blonde Hair on GQ Men of the Year Red Carpet
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Ravens vs. Bengals Thursday Night Football: Baltimore rolls in key AFC North showdown
- Indian troops kill 5 suspected rebels in Kashmir fighting, police say
- Police misconduct settlements can cost millions, but departments rarely feel the impact
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Unions, Detroit casinos reach deal that could end strike
Ruling by Senegal’s highest court blocks jailed opposition leader Sonko from running for president
Golden Globes find new home at CBS after years of scandal
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
Joe Jonas Keeps His and Sophie Turner's Daughters Close to His Heart With New Tattoo
Hot dogs, deli meat, chicken, oh my: Which processed meat is the worst for you?
Georgia prosecutor seeks August trial date for Trump and others in election case