The recent detainment of a charter plane in France heading to Nicaragua has brought focus back to the country’s position as a launching point for migrants from various parts of the world aiming to reach the United States.
The flight departed from the United Arab Emirates with 303 Indian passengers on December 21st. It was stopped for refueling due to an anonymous tip accusing it of human trafficking.
The travelers, on the other hand, were not being forced to move illegally, but were instead trying to migrate.
The United States’ closest land-connected country, Nicaragua, does not have strict entry requirements for citizens from many nations who are unable to fly to other destinations without a visa.
According to experts, Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua, has taken a different stance by using migration as a tool to push for negotiations and lift sanctions on his close allies, despite pressure from the US leading to some countries implementing visa requirements for specific nationalities.
Ana María Méndez, director for Central America at the Washington Office on Latin America, stated that Ortega is exhibiting shrewdness by manipulating the United States’ vulnerabilities. She specifically points to the ongoing migrant crisis and how it could negatively impact President Biden’s chances in the 2024 election. She compared it to adding fuel to the fire.
In 2014, during another migrant crisis, Nicaragua enforced visa regulations for Cuban nationals in order to reduce the number of individuals migrating to the US border. However, since then, the relationship between the two nations has worsened due to Ortega’s manipulation of the 2021 election and numerous violations of human rights.
After political turmoil in Cuba in the summer of 2021, Ortega eliminated the need for visas for Cuban citizens. As a way to alleviate tension, the Cuban government began offering charter flights from the island, according to Méndez.
Over time, individuals from different countries, including Haiti, also began doing the same thing to make their trip to the United States shorter and avoid the dangerous Darién Gap route along Panama’s southern border.
Because of the strained relationship with Ortega, the Biden administration has made efforts to bypass the Nicaraguan government in order to stop the charter flights carrying migrants who are coming from further distances.
On October 30th, the Haitian government implemented a restriction on charter flights to Nicaragua. This had been a common means of transportation for approximately 30,000 individuals in the last three months. Consequently, there was a significant decrease in the number of Haitians traveling north through Honduras in November.
On November 21, the state department declared a fresh policy on visa restrictions focused on individuals who own, manage, or hold high positions in companies that offer charter flights to Nicaragua primarily for undocumented migrants heading to the United States.
Numerous charter companies ceased operating flights, however, a few seemed unaffected. This included Legend Airlines, located in Romania, which recently organized the initial non-stop flight from Europe to Nicaragua in a long time and was accountable for the aircraft detained in France.
The plane from France was ultimately redirected to India, except for two passengers who were detained for further questioning and 25 others who chose to seek asylum instead of going back to their country of origin.
The Indian government is conducting an inquiry into the flight, where passengers allegedly paid anywhere from $48,000 to $150,000 to board. According to an Indian police official, approximately 100,000 Indian citizens have reached the US-Mexico border in 2023, which is over ten times the amount compared to 2019.
Currently, planes from Cuba are still landing in Managua through a carrier owned by the Venezuelan government. This government appears to be unaffected by sanctions, but is also in talks with the White House following a period of severed relations during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Various travel companies on social media are promoting tickets for flights on the Venezuelan airline that go from Havana to Managua, priced at approximately $1,500. They also offer all-inclusive deals starting from $4,000 that cover expenses like transportation to Mexico, meals, accommodation, and even help with using the CBP One app from US Customs and Border Protection. This app is commonly used by migrants to schedule appointments for seeking asylum, among other functions.
Méndez referred to the airlines and travel agencies involved in this as the modern-day coyotes, a term commonly used for illegal human traffickers.
Source: theguardian.com
