El Salvador charges $1,000 fee on Travellers from India, Africa
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New York: El Salvador is charging a $1,000 fee on passengers from India and Africa to discourage migration to the US through its main international airport, Bloomberg reported.
El Salvador's port authority stated on its website that passengers on Indian passports or any of those 50 African nations have to pay the fee.
It is reported that the money thus raised from the fee will go to the development of the country’s main airport.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and Nichols, US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs met this week and discussed the rampant ‘irregular migration’.
In the fiscal year 2023, US Customs and Border Patrol set record of sort by intercepting 3.2 million migrants across El Salvador.
For many migrants from Africa and other places, Central America has long been the route to the US.
The new fee, which came to effect on October 23, was levied after the increased use of the country’s main airport.
Airlines will notify authorities the number of passengers arriving the country from the countries including India on the list.
Colombian airline Avianca started notifying passengers, arriving in El Salvador from any country on the list, that they have to pay the fee before boarding flight to El Salvador.