U.S. Removals Continue As Central America Prepares For Coronavirus

The spread of the coronavirus may soon be hitting Latin America in full force.  The Latin American News Dispatch reports that advocates and officials are concerned that the steady arrival of deportees from the United States and Mexico to Central America could complicate the region’s ability to contain the coronavirus.

Last week, Honduras became the third country in Central America to confirm cases of coronavirus. 

El Salvador and Guatemala continue to receive deportees and are monitoring them for symptoms of the coronavirus.

The pandemic has reached the region just as Honduras and El Salvador were due to implement “safe third country” agreements with Washington. Under this agreement, migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border will instead be diverted to Central America. Health workers warned that the virus will inevitably reach immigration detention centers where overcrowding and limited healthcare would exacerbate the spread of the virus.

Experts called for more medical screenings before migrants are placed on planes or buses for deportation to Central America.

Click the story above for breakdowns by region and nation of the status of the coronavirus situation in Latin America.

KJ