We have expressed continued concern about the situation in Central America and today’s announcement puts forward a solid foundation for a regional response. Only those who have been prescreened by state department officials in their countries of origin will be eligible for travel to Costa Rica. Richards said Costa Rica was aiming to host 200 individuals at a time for six-month periods under the new protection transfer agreement (PTA). Costa Rica will offer temporary protection to refugees fleeing Central America for the US, the Obama administration announced on Tuesday, following an admission by officials of its failure to address the surge in refugees fleeing violence, rape and kidnappings. “That policy of aggressive enforcement, aggressive detention and removal of these asylum seekers from Central America is in contradiction with efforts to provide real protection to these individuals,” Chen said.

Source: The Guardian July 26, 2016 16:53 UTC