Report Finds US Policy Shifts Threaten Migrant and Refugee Protection in Costa Rica

Refugees International and the Women’s Refugee Commission released a joint report on Friday that outlines the severe effects of recent US policy shifts and aid cuts on humanitarian protections for migrants and asylum seekers throughout the region. Identified impacts included the destruction of protection routes and an increased strain on Costa Rica’s overburdened asylum system.

The report urged President Donald Trump’s administration to promptly reopen asylum access at the US border, stop illegal transfers to third countries, and reinstate funding for humanitarian groups working in the area. Additionally, the groups encouraged regional governments and international organizations to work together on managing southward migration, provide legal protections for migrants, and hold public hearings to examine the human rights impacts of recent US migration policies.