The Guatemalan Minister of Governance Enrique Degenhart is calling out the Mexican government for its role in the migrant crisis.
During a sit-down interview, he told The Daily Caller’s Stephanie Hamill that Mexico is incentivizing Guatemalans and others from Central American countries to leave their homes by offering different kinds of benefits to them like work permits and visas while they migrate north toward the United States. (RELATED: Arizona Border Mayor Speaks Out About the Migrant Crisis.)
Degenhart explained:
Let me start by saying that our macroeconomic numbers in the country are very good. We have actually the lowest criminal rates in the country that we have had in the past 15 or 20 years which means that it’s probably not a factor of economics or security. What we have identified and this is part of what we have to work with is the ‘pull factor’ and a mix of cultural situations that are happening in the country. When I talk about the pull factor, i’m talking about our neighbor, Mexico –that unfortunately has been offering different kinds of benefits, admin benefits like visas and other kinds of work permits and situations that basically enhance the interests of our Guatemalans on using Mexico as a route to the U.S.
The U.S.-Mexico border has reached a breaking point, with the number migrants seeking access into America increasing continuously since January.
In an attempt to hold Mexico partly accountable for the issue, President Donald Trump reached an agreement with the United States’ southern neighbor Monday after threatening to impose tariffs if the country did not help curb the high level of migrants trying to cross the border.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.
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