The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is putting pressure on the borders of Europe, which has led to the implementation of certain institutional changes, especially in Western and Eastern European countries. In this context, the United States also showed solidarity with the invaded country, announcing that it will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and donate billions of dollars to the country. Meanwhile, the development aid promised by Washington for Central America has yet to materialize.
Migration crisis in Europe
The current crisis in Ukraine is leading to a massive mobilization of refugees, mainly in Europe. Currently, there are about 3.5 million, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This new crisis highlights the need to promote greater inclusion and respect for the human rights of refugees, in a context where migrants around the world suffer all kinds of abuse, such as human trafficking, prostitution and sexual violence.
In this context, the Council of the European Union decided to activate for the first time the directive 2001/55/EC, by which Ukrainians will be able to live, work and study legally for one year in the European Union, extendable for up to three years, without the need to apply for international protection. This reflects a change in the legal situation and another way of managing the huge influx of refugees, which is estimated to reach close to 6.5 million. This directive was approved in 2001 and, in its 21 years of existence, it had never been activated until then.
This is a necessary policy in a context where the borders of Poland, Slovakia and Romania with Ukraine have become regions of intense dynamics: humanitarian, social, health and cultural. Poland received more than half of Ukraine’s refugees, around 2.17 million, reflecting a strong sense of humanitarianism and support for vulnerable populations.
What are the lessons for managing the US-Mexico border?
On March 3, after the outbreak of armed conflict in Ukraine, the US government granted the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to Ukrainian citizens already residing in the country. The US government also announced that it will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and other refugees who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion, with priority being given to welcoming migrants with family members already in the US.
To this end, it will include a refugee admission program, humanitarian permits and immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Also, according to a US administration spokesperson, the White House will not have to ask Congress to extend the current annual refugee limit, which currently stands at 125,000.
Before the war, migrants from Ukraine and Russia arrived in the US via Mexico, as this country does not require visas for such citizens. Only an electronic travel authorization is required, processed online, which allows the stay as tourists for 180 days. So in 2020, before the crisis began, more than 12,000 Ukrainians arrived in Mexico with the aim of going to the US. In 2021 there were more than 28,000 Ukrainians, and in January of this year, weeks before the start of the war, a considerable increase could already be observed with the arrival of 6,000 Ukrainian citizens.
The arrival of Ukrainian migrants is likely to increase in the coming months. However, these numbers will continue to represent a smaller proportion of migrants fleeing their countries as best they can to reach the US via the southern border.
For this reason, in response to the Biden administration’s announcements, President López Obrador criticized the fact that priority is given to the arrival of Ukrainians to the detriment of Central American migrants, as well as the Central American Development Plan being relegated to the background, in a context where continental migration has also generated a humanitarian crisis. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year alone, the US detained nearly 1.7 million migrants, of whom nearly 40% were Mexican and 35% Central American.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led the US government to prioritize the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Europe over migration from the south of the continent. However, this should be an opportunity for the authorities to promote an inclusive, humanitarian and labor policy for migrant populations from other countries, especially the Northern Triangle.
