Biden And Lopez Obrador Agree Mexican Immigrants Should Not Take Dangerous Journeys To The US

Photo illustration of the construction of the US-Mexico border (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - President-elect of the United States (US) Joe Biden and President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated their commitment to work together to overcome the problem of immigrants. Both are determined to solve the root problems in the areas of origin of the refugees, namely in Central America and the southern region of Mexico.

This commitment was conveyed in a telephone conversation, Sunday, December 20. Biden and Lopez Obrador "discussed working together on a new approach to resolve migration in the region that provides alternative solutions to prevent the dangerous journeys taken by immigrants to the United States," said Joe Biden's transitional administration team, citing the conversation between the two country's leaders.

The two leaders said the US and Mexico shared a desire to address the root causes of migration problems in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, particularly in the south.

Biden promised to build "the infrastructure at the border and in the region and build the capacity needed to facilitate humane migration rules and approaches and comply with international norms, in particular regarding the government's treatment of asylum seekers," the government's transition team explained in a written statement.

Lopez Obrador earlier this week pushed for a strengthening of cooperation between Mexico and the United States, particularly under the new government led by Joe Biden. The Mexican president hopes that the two countries can increase cooperation on the issue of immigration.

This hope was conveyed because the relationship between the US and Mexico strained when President Donald Trump made controversial policies related to immigrants, for example ordering Mexico to pay for the construction of a wall that was planned to be built on the border of the two countries. The US government under Trump's leadership has also banned immigrants from entering the US, although they are still awaiting a trial verdict.

Biden emphasized that the US and Mexico need to give a new breath to cooperation on issues of migration, overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, economy and security at the border.

"We reaffirm our shared commitment to working together for the good of the people and nations of the two countries," said Lopez Obrador in his post on Twitter.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said through his official Twitter account that there would be deep cooperation and good relations between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States.

A source from the Mexican government said Biden and Lopez Obrador were also discussing investment opportunities for development and measures to respect the presence of the Mexican community in the United States.

The president of Brazil and the president of Mexico on Tuesday (15/12) congratulated Biden after he was elected president of the US.

The remarks were made one day after the US General Elections Agency determined the final results of the presidential election on November 3, 2020. Brazil and Mexico are the two largest economies in Latin America.