Regional Partners Must Step Up as Rubio Pursues Anti-Refugee, Anti-Migrant Agenda on Americas Trip 

Statement from Refugees International Senior Advocate for Latin America Rachel Schmidtke: 

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s first official trip across Latin America has set the stage for a belligerent anti-refugee, anti-migrant U.S. foreign policy approach to the region. Rubio used his trip to pursue opaque and potentially illegal bilateral agreements with countries on enforcement and deportation—and abandon existing regional efforts to share responsibility to protect and support migrants and asylum seekers. 

This week, Guatemala and El Salvador agreed to receive third country nationals deported from the United States. There are no guarantees in place that these individuals will have an opportunity to seek asylum or assurance that they will not be subject to mistreatment or returned to persecution. In Panama, Rubio watched a U.S.-sponsored flight deporting men and women who had crossed the Darien Gap—a first for a Secretary of State to make a spectacle of such an event, and unbecoming of the office. If the U.S. continues its pressure campaign, similar flights could soon begin from Costa Rica, a country traditionally welcoming of refugees.

These agreements strip displaced people of their legal rights under international law and perpetuate harmful narratives that criminalize migrants. With historic forced displacement in the region, now is not the time to deal transactionally. With the U.S. posturing as a regional bully, countries across the region must work together to share responsibility and protect and support people seeking safety. The upcoming Summit of the Americas will provide them an opportunity to do so.” 

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.