Western hemisphere countries to host more migrants

President Joe Biden and other leaders announced a plan at the end of the Summit of the Americas on Friday to create more legal pathways for migrant workers and refugees to enter countries. The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection would also give aid to communities most affected by migration, promote humane border management, and coordinate emergency responses. Leaders hope to have the declaration signed by the United States, Canada, Spain, and most Latin American countries.

Where are migrants going besides the U.S.? A similar plan is active in Colombia and Ecuador, which combined have given temporary legal status to 1.5 million of the 6 million people who left Venezuela in recent years. Colombia’s vice president is concerned about assimilation if more refugees come, but its president said that no issues have arisen so far. The U.S. has already granted Temporary Protected Status, which allows people in countries with ongoing dangers to seek refuge, to hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Haitians, and Venezuelans. This bill expands those numbers and streamlines the process.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Michaelian’s report in Compassion on the ongoing debate on immigration and the pandemic policy known as Title 42.