The Central American country of Guatemala has agreed to increase its number of deportation flights it receives from the United States, with a planned 40% rise in operations by 2024. The move comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on irregular migration.
Under President Biden, Guatemala received around 14 deportation flights per day. However, under Trump, the number is expected to significantly increase. In fiscal year 2024, roughly 66,000 people were deported from the US to Guatemala, a record high for any single year during Trump’s first term.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo made the announcement at a news conference after visiting Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The plan includes increasing flights for both Guatemalans and deportees from other nationalities. The US has offered financial support to Guatemala to help with these efforts.
This agreement is part of Trump’s broader anti-migration strategy, which aims to reduce irregular migration to the US. However, critics have raised concerns about human rights abuses in detention centers, particularly in Cuba. The US has recently begun sending undocumented immigrants to a military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The move has been met with skepticism from some officials in the Trump administration, who have expressed concerns about the legality of Guatemala’s offer to jail violent offenders sent by the US. Despite these concerns, Guatemala’s willingness to accept migrants with criminal records is seen as an important step towards reducing irregular migration.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/5/guatemala-agrees-to-increase-number-of-us-deportation-flights-it-accepts