On World Refugee Day, LatAm Child Migrants May Be Seeking US Asylum, Experts Say CNA/EWTN News
go to original June 20, 2014

World Refugee Day 20 June: Children on the run (UNICEF)

Two migration experts have said that many unaccompanied child immigrants to the U.S. from Mexico and Central America could qualify as refugees fleeing violence, and thus be granted asylum.

Rick Jones, a Catholic Relief Services official who has lived in Central America for 27 years, told CNA the “epidemic of violence” in the region is behind the massive spike of migrants from those countries.

“If this were a declared war, you would consider them refugees. And the homicide rates in Central America fit the definition of war.”

Bishop Eusebio Elizondo Almaguer, an auxiliary of the Seattle archdiocese and head of the U.S. bishops’ immigration committee, recently called the situation a “humanitarian crisis” that demands a “comprehensive response” from the U.S. government.

The number of unaccompanied minors coming to the U.S. has steadily risen and has doubled each year since 2011, according to Jones.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said that “absolutely” some of those migrants could qualify for asylum.

“In terms of asylum, you only have to establish credible fear,” he told CNA. “That’s part of the asylum policy that we have in the country: those who are fleeing violent countries can find protection here.”

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