MEXICO CITY, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Guatemala has received 2,284 Mexican nationals deported from the United States so far this year, allowing them to enter the Central American country in international transit before they are transferred to Mexico, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said Thursday.
The Mexicans were admitted in transit status, Arevalo told a press conference, adding that in coordination with Mexican migration authorities, they can be returned to Mexican territory within less than 24 hours after entering the country.
The president said the Mexican nationals do not remain in Guatemala or receive refugee status or other forms of protection. For that reason, he said, the mechanism does not make Guatemala a "safe third country," as their stay is shorter than 24 hours.
Arevalo said the transfer costs are covered by the Mexican government and, in some cases, by the U.S. government.
The measure comes as U.S. President Donald Trump's migration policy has expanded deportations and actions against irregular migration as part of efforts to discourage new attempts to enter the United States.
As part of the policy, the United States has turned to third countries in the region to transfer deported people, altering the usual practice of returning migrants directly to their countries of origin.
Mexico, for its part, has maintained that it will receive its nationals deported from the United States and has prepared a special mechanism to assist their return. ■