110 million pledged to Central America immigration

A dozen countries and development organizations pledged on Thursday to intensify their efforts to address the causes that force millions to migrate from Central America.

Gathered in the Costa Rican capital of San José, country leaders, multilateral banks, international organizations said they will contribute with nearly $110 million to the project.

The statement came following a summit between Spain and member states of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Spain organized the event in its capacity as chair of the MIRPS, the Comprehensive Framework for Protection and Solutions to Forced Displacement.

Officials said migration was aggravated by climate change and the coronavirus pandemic on top of economic hardship, insecurity and violence.

The United States announced it was donating $57 million in humanitarian assistance for displaced people in the region, in addition to the $310 million previously announced.

Spain said it will contribute more than $7.6 million between 2021 and 2022, and the European Union will contribute the equivalent of 18.5 million Euros.

The MIRPS, whose technical secretariat is comprised of the OAS and the UN refugee agency UNHCR, was created in 2017 with a humanitarian and development focus.

The member countries of the mechanism are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama.

During the press conference at the end of the summit, Guatemelan President Alejandro Giammattei urged the government of Nicaragua to release the opposition presidential pre-candidates detained in the past week.