This also serves as a reminder
of the strategic value of the State Department's security cooperation
at a time when the Trump administration is proposing shortsighted cuts
to our foreign assistance budget. Additionally, I want to call attention to Costa Rica's collaboration
with the United States in addressing the humanitarian challenges
related to individuals fleeing violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Honduras. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of migrants from these
three countries who have requested asylum in Costa Rica more than
quadrupled, a dramatic increase that reflects the urgency of the
situation in Central America. In a clear demonstration of President
Solis's leadership on these issues, Costa Rica and the United States
signed an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, UNHCR, to establish a relocation and processing facility in
Costa Rica for up to 200 at-risk migrants at a time from Guatemala, El
Salvador, and Honduras. This critical screening provides immediate
protection for those most vulnerable and opens opportunities for these
individuals to be relocated to third countries. Our joint agreement with UNHCR is but one example of U.S. and Costa
Rican collaboration at multilateral fora.
Keywords matched
migrants Refugees