The Biden administration has announced a series of measures against Nicaragua that seek to combat migrant exploitation and irregular migration, among them, visa restrictions against more than 250 Nicaraguan government officials and their families, and sanctions against three entities tied to the regime. This is a response because now, according to U.S. authorities, the Nicaraguan government has begun to sell visas to allow through this country in 96 hours; thereby increasing human trafficking and expanding irregular migration.
Those targets included the Russian training centre and two companies involved in the gold business, which it said was funding the operations of the government of Nicaragua. To this end, the administration sent policy guidance to airlines and travel providers about potential abuse by smuggling networks. The issued guidance cautions against traffickers from using legitimate commercial services to engage in human trafficking. This has shown how a lot of concern President Biden is towards the increase in the number of undocumented migrants by the U.S's Southern border, a situation that is full of political implications as mid-term election approaches. The measures, therefore, are aimed at disrupting these patterns by undermining the economic incentives that drive them and holding the Nicaraguan government accountable as an actor that exacerbates the migration crisis.
The Biden administration is also in deliberation for the redesignation of TPS for Nicaraguans to grant relief to Nicaraguans who are already present in the U.S., following the extensive political repression and economic turmoil faced under President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. These steps constitute but one part of a broader effort: to manage immigration, provide safe, legal pathways for migrants, while reducing irregular migration and human rights abuses associated with the Nicaraguan regime.
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