Mexico's new government agrees to Trump's 'asylum waiting room' plan
Asylum seekers arriving at the US-Mexico border will have to wait in Mexico while their claims are heard, under a new deal agreed by the Trump administration and Mexico's incoming president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The agreement, which has not yet been signed, is known as Remain in Mexico.
Asylum seekers will submit their application on the US-Mexico border, at an official entry point, and then turn back to wait in Mexico while the US authorities evaluate their claim.
It will seek to end, for asylum seekers, the US policy of "catch and release" - whereby migrants and asylum seekers caught crossing the border illegally are detained, registered, and then freed.
“For now, we have agreed to this policy of Remain in Mexico,” said Olga Sanchez Cordero, Mexico’s incoming interior minister, who takes office on December 1 when Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is sworn in.
In an interview with The Washington Post, she called it a “short-term solution.”
“The medium- and long-term solution is that people don’t migrate,” she said.
“Mexico has open arms and everything, but imagine, one caravan after another after another, that would also be a problem for us.”
On Saturday night, Donald Trump tweeted his approval of the plan, writing: "....All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!"
Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court. We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No “Releasing” into the U.S...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018
....All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018
The move is yet another sign of the willingness of Mr Lopez Obrador, a veteran Leftist activist, to hold out an olive branch to his northern neighbour.
Officials in both Mexico and the US hope that the Remain in Mexico plan will act as a deterrent to migrants considering setting out from their Central American homelands.
Both governments want to avoid a repetition of scenes last month at Mexico's southern border, when a migrant caravan pushed its way over from Guatemala into the town of Tapachula. That migrant caravan is now gathering in Tijuana, on the US-Mexico border, and causing anxiety among that city's leaders.
Furthermore, it is seen as an indication that the efforts of US diplomats have paid off, following their attempts to quietly engage in sensitive talks with senior Mexican officials, attempting to offer a diplomatic counterbalance to Mr Trump’s threats and ultimatums.
The outlines of the deal were agreed, The Washington Post reported, at a series of meetings last week in Houston between Marcelo Ebrard, the incoming Mexican foreign minister, and Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state.
Human rights activists, however, expressed concern at the proposal to keep asylum seekers in Mexico, in borderlands which feature some of the most dangerous cities in the country.
“We have not seen a specific proposal, but any policy that would leave individuals stranded in Mexico would inevitably put people in danger,” said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“The administration ought to concentrate on providing a fair and lawful asylum process in the US rather than inventing more and more ways to try to short-circuit it.”
The measures could also trigger legal challenges, though Mr Gelernt said it was too early to comment on potential litigation.
