The White House welcomed Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles as United States President Joe Biden is set to discuss migration and trade in the Western Hemisphere.
The talks come as officials struggle to address a record number of migrants heading into the American nation. Biden thanked Robles for signing the 2022 Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.
US-Costa Rica Discussions on Migration, Trade
That particular agreement was inked at the Summit of the Americas, which saw participating governments pledging to commit to expanding temporary worker programs, bolstering legal pathways such as refugee resettlement and family reunification, providing support to nations that host large migrant populations, and cracking down on human smuggling networks.
In a statement, Biden said that he was grateful for Robles making the declaration possible and for the latter's leadership on the migration challenges the American government faces daily. The Democrat was also hopeful for deepening security operations, including on organized crime, as per CNN.
The Biden administration has been under immense pressure from the unprecedented movement of migrants in the Western Hemisphere. Despite issuing a series of measures to curb migration, the administration could still see potentially thousands more people arriving at the US southern border this fall.
The number of people crossing the dangerous Darien Gap, which bridges Panama and Colombia and most recently served as a barometer for movement in the region, surpassed its previous record. Authorities said that 248,901 people crossed the jungle this year, roughly 20% of whom were children and adolescents.
A senior administration official noted that they were closely monitoring the situation and were deeply concerned about it. They added that the issue has been a high priority for the US government and its regional partners.
Joe Biden and Rodrigo Chaves Robles
During discussions with Robles, Biden said that the two are united by the vision they share, which is for greater opportunity for freedom and equality as well as dignity for both of their people in the future, according to the New York Times.
The US government's efforts to curb migration are done by cracking down on asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border while working with Central American nations, such as Costa Rica, to find ways for migrants to apply for protection closer to their home countries.
After Biden and Robles' meeting at the White House, officials announced that the State Department would send more than $12 million through international partners to Costa Rica to help the nation address migration. The US government also plans to provide $24 million to improve Costa Rica's policing and expand its crime prevention programs.
Costa Rica and the United States agreed in June to open potential legal pathways to the latter for some Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants who are part of the 240,000 asylum seekers in the Central American country. Nicaraguants accounted for roughly 90% of applicants last year, said the Associated Press.
