The US is planning to send some migrants in Latin America for resettlement in Greece and Italy as part of another effort to discourage people in the region from traveling to the US-Mexico border, CBS reported on Thursday.
Two people familiar with the government’s plans told CBS News that the initiative would involve Greece and Italy welcoming migrants processed at immigration offices that the Biden administration set up last year in four Latin American countries to screen migrants who hope to reach the US.
The centers, officially known as Safe Mobility Offices, allow certain migrants in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Guatemala to apply to come to the US or other countries legally.
US in discussions with Greece over resettlement of migrants
Under the new arrangements, Greece and Italy would join Canada and Spain in resettling some of those processed at the offices. One of the sources told CBS Italy and Greece would likely accept a relatively small number of migrants, roughly 500 or fewer each.
A spokesperson for the State Department said the Safe Mobility Offices have “enabled a six-fold increase in the number of refugees resettled from the Western Hemisphere.”
“Given the success of the program,” the spokesperson added, “we are in diplomatic discussions with other countries about joining this initiative to expand lawful pathways for resettlement but have no additional information to share at this time.”
On May 20, US officials met with diplomats from Canada, Italy, Spain and the countries hosting the Safe Mobility Offices to discuss the initiative, according to internal Department of Homeland Security documents. In an interview with CBS News last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared to reference the agreement with Greece.
“We work with Canada, Spain, and just recently, Greece, to build lawful pathways for individuals to arrive in their countries, out of the hands of smugglers who just seek to exploit these individuals for profit,” Mayorkas said.
The plans to divert some Latin American migrants to Greece and Italy highlight an increasing trend by the US and other Western countries to manage intensifying migration crises around the world through international deals, CBS reports.
Just like the US has faced unprecedented levels of migration to its southern border, Italy and Greece have struggled with the arrival of large numbers of migrants fleeing wars and poverty in North Africa and the Middle East over the past decade.
The migration crises faced by both European countries have upended their politics and underscored the often-deadly nature of journeys in the Mediterranean Sea.
Still, Greece and Italy are, in many cases, transit countries for migrants hoping to settle elsewhere in Europe. And both countries have aging populations and significant labor shortages, creating an incentive for them to resettle foreign workers, CBS says.
There has been no reaction to the report by the Greek government as of Friday morning.