Vice President Kamala Harris has outlined her plan to impact the long-term causes of migration for Central Americans to the United States via a multinational effort to reduce the risks in the home countries that spur the people to make the 2,000 mile trek, the Associated Press reports.
Citing corruption, violence and poverty in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Harris stated that she’ll be working with the governments of Mexico, Japan and South Korea, along with the United Nations to address the longstanding and deep-seated motives for migrants to leave their native countries.
“We will build on what works, and we will pivot away from what does not work,” Harris wrote in an introduction to the 20-page plan. “It will not be easy, and progress will not be instantaneous, but we are committed to getting it right.”
Harris was tasked by President Joe Biden to work with international partners to find solutions to stem the flow of migrants leaving Central America, in the same way Biden was assigned to address migration during the Obama Administration.
The plan released by Harris discusses both short- and long-term issues influencing migration, including temporary episodes like extreme weather and the long-term socio-economic issues of the region.