The United States government has announced the end of the Parole Program for migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti, which was introduced in 2022 to curtail excessive illegal migration and allow temporary entry into the country.
The Parole Program was inaugurated in October 2022 and aimed to grant two-year residential permits to people arriving by air with United States sponsors. The program has given access to over 530,000 migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela to enter the United States in the past two years.
The Joe Biden administration, through a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has revealed that the program will not be renewed for another phase. The permit will expire in a couple of weeks and will no longer be a sustainable route for fresh migrants who want to use it to enter the country. However, migrants who are already in the country through the program will be allowed to remain under other US immigration programs.
The Parole scheme was introduced to allow people with humanitarian objectives to enter the country. It was an effort by the Joe Biden-led administration to curtail the high number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border illegally. The program has significantly addressed excessive illegal migration, which was a significant concern for the country.
While the program has expired for countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti, it has been extended for Ukrainians and Afghans.
The immigration issue in the United States is one of the biggest challenges that the country has decided to address ahead of the November 5 general election, in which Vice President Kamala Harris will face off with former President Donald Trump.
