“It’s one option and it will probably be used,” he said, adding that some asylum seekers could be sent to Petén and others to Guatemala City. Under the terms of the accord, asylum seekers can be sent from the U.S. border to Guatemala if they passed through the country’s territory without seeking protection. He declined to discuss details of the plan or Petén’s apparent lack of preparedness to accept asylum seekers. ADADAbout 100 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from other Central American countries, currently live in the state. Because the country’s asylum process is centralized in Guatemala City, asylum seekers sheltered there must crisscross the country multiple times to process their claims in the capital, an eight-hour bus ride.

Source: Washington Post November 16, 2019 00:01 UTC