The migration issue in the Central American region has deteriorated over the last year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which further worsened social and economic prospects for the local communities, Russia's Embassy in Guatemala told Sputnik, commenting another migrant caravan passing through the country en route to the United States
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2021) The migration issue in the Central American region has deteriorated over the last year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which further worsened social and economic prospects for the local communities, Russia's Embassy in Guatemala told Sputnik, commenting another migrant caravan passing through the country en route to the United States.
"It is a multidimensional problem. First of all, the social economic situation in the region has been very tough, especially with the pandemic, and it became very complicated for lots of people. Basically, they do not have any choice rather than to stay in their home county or to migrate up to the North. They are looking for better life conditions, for better life choices for their children," Larissa Plachinda, the сhairge d'affaires of the Russian Embassy to Guatemala, said.
The migrants seek to move to the United States as President-elect Joe Biden will assume office soon and is expected to ease the strict immigration policy imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump, the diplomat added.
"Mr. Biden has promised some changes to the migration policy of the States. They are looking for some liberal regime under the Biden administration ... They are trying to see these promised changes in reality, in real life, and they decided, 'why don't we try to move up to the North to get a better life,'" Plachinda noted.
But migration also has a major part in Guatemala's GDP as those who migrated from the country send the money to help their relatives, according to the diplomat.
"As far as the remittances are concerned, we have to mention that it seems to be a very important stabilizing force for the macroeconomic stability of Guatemala ... Approximately, according to the official statistics, remittances reached the level of $11.3 billion last year and it is roughly 12 or 13 percent of the national GDP. With this money, the families of migrants can buy goods, can buy food to get by. It is a really major force not only for the economic stability in the country but for financial stability as well," Plachinda noted.
Earlier in January, a caravan of some 4,500 Honduran migrants crossed over into Guatemala, scrambling to escape gang-related violence, poverty and unemployment in their home country. Guatemalan authorities have said that they were not going to allow in people who violated migration rules and reportedly used teargas against the migrants. Guatemala's Human Rights Ombudsman Jordan Rodas Andrade has expressed concerns over the use of force against the migrant caravan. So far, the Guatemalan authorities have deported over 900 people back to Honduras.
