Harris to tackle migration in first overseas trip

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris touched down in Guatemala on Sunday in her first official overseas visit since taking office.

Guatemalan officials were on the tarmac to welcome her.

Washington is expected on Monday to announce steps to tackle human trafficking, smuggling and corruption in the country, according to senior U.S. officials.

That's in a bid to stem migration from Central America's Northern Triangle countries - Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Since President Joe Biden took office in January, the number of migrants detained on the U.S.-Mexico border per month was at its highest in twenty years.

Harris' three-day trip, which includes a stop in Mexico, will likely emphasize cooperation with non-government organisations, according to advisers and experts.

They say she will meet community leaders, workers and entrepreneurs, as she focuses on root causes for migration.

But her focus on civil societycould be a sore point in Mexico.

The country in May asked Washington to suspend financial backing for an anti-corruption group, which Mexico's government considers the 'political opposition'.

Harris is expected to fly to Mexico on Tuesday.