El Salvador has instituted a $1,000 fee for travelers hailing from Africa or India, with the aim of discouraging migration through the country to the United States. This decision was communicated by El Salvador's port authority in a statement posted on its website on October 20.

The fee applies to individuals traveling on passports issued by India or any of more than 50 African nations. This move is seen as part of El Salvador's efforts to address the challenges associated with migration and to regulate the flow of travelers transiting through the nation en route to the United States. The new policy underscores the government's attempt to implement measures aimed at border and immigration control.

The funds generated from this fee will be allocated towards enhancing the infrastructure and facilities at El Salvador's primary international airport, as confirmed by the authority.

This week, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele held a meeting with Brian Nichols, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. They discussed various topics, including their joint efforts to address irregular migration.

During fiscal year 2023, which concluded in September, the US Customs and Border Patrol recorded a record-breaking 3.2 million encounters with migrants across the country. This emphasizes the significance of their discussions on addressing migration challenges.

Many migrants from Africa and various other regions reach the United States by way of Central America.

"Incorporating value-added tax (VAT), travelers from the impacted nations will incur an additional cost of $1,130. This new fee was implemented on October 23, attributed to the heightened utilization of the nation's primary international airport," as stated in the official announcement.

Airlines will have the obligation to provide daily notifications to Salvadoran authorities regarding passengers arriving from a specified roster of 57 countries in Africa and India.

A notable airline using El Salvador's hub, Avianca from Colombia, has commenced the practice of alerting travelers from the aforementioned list of nations about the requirement to pay the mandatory fee before they are allowed to board flights destined for El Salvador. This initiative underscores the enforcement of the fee and its applicability to passengers coming from the identified countries.

This initiative represents the ongoing efforts by governments and airlines to manage the challenges of migration and enhance control over international travel. It underscores the significance of addressing immigration issues and the role of aviation companies in adhering to new regulations in the face of growing global mobility challenges.

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