US Bans European Charter Flight Officials Over Migrant Trips, According to Reuters

U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on European Charter Flight Officials

Washington (Reuters) – The United States has enacted visa restrictions on high-ranking officials of a European charter flight company for their role in facilitating irregular migration through Nicaragua. This move is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to address a rising trend in illegal immigration.

The U.S. State Department announced these restrictions but did not disclose the name of the company or its executives, nor did it specify the number of migrants transported by the company or the timeframe involved.

These flights contribute to a new phase of illegal immigration to the United States, a pressing issue as the upcoming presidential election on November 5 approaches.

Migrants from regions outside of Latin America often pay significant fees to smuggling networks for travel packages that typically include airline tickets to Central America, after which they travel overland to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"No one should profit from vulnerable migrants — not smugglers, private companies, or public officials," stated department spokesperson Matthew Miller. He emphasized that the U.S. would continue to apply visa restrictions against transportation company owners, executives, and officials who engage in exploitative practices.

President Biden’s executive actions from June are intended to limit crossings when they exceed a specific threshold. However, the effectiveness of these measures on migrants from India, African nations, and other regions contributing to the increasing number of illegal crossings remains uncertain.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ presidential candidate in the upcoming election, have linked the unprecedented levels of migration to global economic and political instability. In contrast, former President Donald Trump, who is campaigning for a return to office after his defeat by Biden in 2020, attributes the surge in border crossings to the current administration’s policies.