Latin America Becoming a Transit Route for Africans and Asians

On Saturday, Costa Rica's President Luis Guillermo Solis addressed the leaders of the member countries of the Association of Caribbean States, asking for solidarity and awareness on the migration issues in the region.

The member countries of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC) met in Cuba for its seventh summit.

President Solis called for his counterparts to be aware that their countries have become a transit route for the mass illegal migration of African and Asian citizens. He said, "More awareness and solidarity is missing on the issue of migration flows, because Latin America is becoming a transit route for African and Asian migrants, who seek a better future in the north." The Costa Rican president also asked the members of the ACS to join together to fight smuggling networks.

The flow of African and Asian illegal aliens accompanies the recent wave of U.S.-bound Cuban migrants. Unlike the Cubans, the African and Asian migrants are not guaranteed entrance into the United States. Consequently, the Costa Rican government cannot offer an airlift to the U.S.-Mexico border, and continues to seek a solution for this new backlog.