Central America Rejects US
Anti-Immigrant Law
Governments and civil society sectors in
Central America expressed their energetic
opposition to anti-immigrant legislation
passed in the US state of Arizona because it
is considered xenophobic, unjust and
contrary to human rights.
Salvadoran Foreign Ministry expressed its
opposition to such legislation and warned
that immigrants should not be treated as
criminals in any country for the mere fact
of having entered or remained in an
irregular manner.
According to the legislation SB 1070,
enacted on Friday in Arizona, police
officers can arrest and interrogate anyone
who does not show identification documents.
Also restrictions for hiring undocumented
people as labourers and transporting them
are getting tighten.
"That decision is very unjust because it
incriminates our undocumented brothers as
criminals", said the Archbishop of San
Salvador José Luis Alas.
Guatemalan government stated its deep
concern over the new law and considered it
as a threat to basic notions of justice".
Meanwhile, the National Migration Bureau
called for a march to repudiate a decision
that promotes discrimination, hatred and
persecution, said executive coordinator of
the entity Marila Prinz.
In Costa Rica Secretary General of the
Public Employees National Albino Vargas,
described as riacist and criminal the
legislation that will take effect within 90
days.
Central American and in particular the
Mexican government must repudiate that law,
said Vargas.
According to estimates in USA there are 11
million illegal immigrants of which the 62
percent come from Mexico, followed by El
Salvador (530,000), Guatemala (480,000) and
Honduras (320,000). |
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