This is not the American Way

| eTurboNews | eTN
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Why do Ukrainian refugees have to fly to Mexico, and stay in shelters at the U.S. border to apply for aylumn?

The United States has been leading the fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine by launching the largest sanctions against Russia. All major and not so major media outlets in the United States are reporting about the pain inflicted on the Ukrainian people. On the other end, the United States has been the least welcoming country for refugees from Ukraine. Scream.travel is now speaking out.

The brutal invasion has made millions of Ukrainian homeless to flee the country for safety. Small countries with a few resources like Moldova had opened their borders and hearts to the Ukrainian people.

Where is the United States when it comes to accepting Ukrainian refugees? President Biden put a quota of 100.000 people, but it is impossible for Ukrainian citizens without a valid U.S. visa to get on a direct flight from Europe to the U.S. Visas are not processed in Ukraine, and in other European consulates. It can take months before the necessary interview appointment for an applicant can be granted.

According to Mexican authorities, approximately 1700 Ukrainians with links to the United States made their way to Mexico bypassing direct flights to the United States.

They arrived mostly in Mexico City or in the resort town of Cancun. Ukrainians do not need visas for Mexico.

Screen Shot 2022 04 05 at 22.44.53 | eTurboNews | eTN
The US Mexico Border fence in Tijuana with Ukrainian Refugees waiting

Currently, you find more than 400 Ukrainians in a sports center in Tijuana, Mexico, near the international port of entry, that connects Tijuana with California. They are up to the mercy of US Customs and Border control allowing them into the United States for an asylum interview.

The increase in Ukrainians in Tijuana comes as U.S. officials are ramping up efforts to process migrants and asylum seekers, regardless of nationality, amid an expected increase in arrivals in the United States. The increase is expected after US authorities will lift the pandemic-era policy that effectively shut down asylum at the border.

The U.S. headquartered World Tourism Network, founder of the scream.travel campaign is urging US authorities to allow Ukrainian refugees into the United States without a visa and on direct flights from Europe. Chairman Juergen Steinmetz said: “As an American, I feel embarrassed about this double standard by our country to force people that just fled their country and wanted to seek asylum here to sneak into the United States via Mexico. The American people should take a stand and speak out. We will “scream” from our end to put an end to this situation.”

scream3 | eTurboNews | eTN

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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