Deportation flights reduce attempts by Venezuelans to enter the United States

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Following an agreement made last month with the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela, the United States has resumed the deportation of Venezuelan nationals to Caracas. This move has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of attempts by Venezuelans to enter the United States, according to the US government.

Blas Nuñez-Neto, Deputy Undersecretary for Border and Immigration Policy at the Department of Homeland Security, revealed during a press conference that there has been a 74% decrease in the gatherings of Venezuelan nationals in the second half of October compared to September. This reduction is attributed to the restart of repatriation flights.

Furthermore, Nuñez-Neto reported that there has been a considerable reduction in crossings through the dangerous Darién jungle, between Colombia and Panama. The official also stated that this week marked the fourth flight from the United States to Caracas with people returned to their country.

When questioned about the impact of deportations on the security of individuals sent to countries with authoritarian governments, Nuñez-Neto emphasized that deportations are carried out with careful consideration of international obligations such as the Convention against Torture. He assured that people are not deported when there is a credible fear that they may be subjected to torture.

Additionally, US authorities reported that since the lifting of the COVID-19 health emergency on May 12, they have expelled or returned more than 380,000 individuals who attempted to enter the United States illegally through the border with Mexico, marking a historical record.

The decrease in Venezuelan arrivals to the United States following the announcement of deportations was described as the typical “wait and see” reaction by Adam Isacson, the Defense monitoring director at the Washington Office on Latin American Affairs (WOLA). Despite the initial decline, Isacson estimated that the number of arrivals would soon increase again.

The drop in Venezuelan arrivals to the United States in October was 39% compared to September. Isacson attributed this decline to the announcement of deportation flights and anticipated that it would likely be short-lived due to the dire conditions in Venezuela driving migration.

In addition to the increased deportations, the US government has emphasized its efforts to expand legal processes and regular routes for migrants. This includes the expansion of legal pathways through official border ports and the issuance of temporary humanitarian permits to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.

The State Department official, Eric Jacobstein, highlighted the regional cooperation and humanitarian aid programs promoted by the Biden administration to address the migration crisis. This includes nearly $500 million in additional humanitarian assistance to refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Overall, the US government aims to address the root causes of irregular migration and provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the pressure that drives individuals to undertake dangerous journeys north.