The Safe Mobility program that the United States announced to facilitate migration to this country started on June 28. However, one day after its start, the portal closed its requests temporarily.
“We are still launching this program. We are not currently accepting applications, but will be again soon. Please check this page again for updates. If you have already registered, you do not need to do it again“, it says on the Safe Mobility website.
In Guatemala, when this program was launched, something similar also happened. However, this does not mean that the initiative has been suspended, but that the authorities are advancing in logistics to process all applications.
We explain everything you need to know and how it works.
Who can apply?
For now, the Safe Mobility program will not attend cases of Colombians. This, despite the fact that some of the offices or Migration Centers will have national territory as their headquarters.
This was made clear in a new announcement by the UN Migration and the Office for Refugees of this same organization that, together with the United States, will manage these offices. They created a website (safemobility.org) to give information and schedule appointments.
According to the portal, The applications to receive the assistance of these migratory centers began to be received as of this same Wednesday, June 28 and, later, put on a temporary pause.
The portal clarifies that, in the case of Colombia, only citizens of Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti will have access that demonstrate that they were legally in the country until before June 11.
“Currently, this program is aimed at Cuban, Haitian and Venezuelan people who were legally present in Colombia before June 11, 2023,” says the portal.
(You may be interested: Has the Petro Presidency derailed? This says an analysis by the Bloomberg agency)
The program will help people move safely and legally to the United States.
And he adds that the Safe Mobility program will help people of these nationalities to “relocate safely and legally to the United States. These services are guaranteed free of charge. Not all applicants will qualify or benefit from the project. We will review your information and eligibility for the program. We will contact you to provide you with information on the legal pathways to go to the United States. Some people could be summoned for an in-person interview in Colombia.”
According to the portal, once the application is reviewed, some people will be authorized to travel directly to the US to process their immigration status, that could come through a program that grants 30,000 monthly visas for citizens of these countries, through political asylum or through another program that unifies families that were separated by the US authorities.
(You can read: This is how the US centers will work in Colombia to process immigration cases)
Not all applicants will qualify for or benefit from the program. We will review your information and eligibility for the program.
Curiously, in Guatemala, where these centers have also been obtained for the processing of migrants, the program does include nationals of that country, as well as Nicaraguans and Salvadorans.
In the case of Costa Rica, They will only serve Venezuelans and Nicaraguans present in the country before June 12. Migrant Colombians who are in one of those two countries will not have access to the program either.
Migrants try to reach the US
EFE/Abraham Pineda-Jácome
It has drawn a lot of attention how limited the program is for now. First, because it requires you to be legally in one of those countries in order to apply. and put a closing date. That is, they will not consider people who arrive after June 11 and 12 in the cases of Colombia and Costa Rica.
(Also: This is the family reunification plan for Colombians announced by the United States)
But, also, because it restricts the program to nationals of very few countries and excludes not only Colombians but also people from South America or Africa who pass through the country.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter: @sergom68
