This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
On July 26, 2019, US President Donald Trump signed a landmark agreement with Guatemala, marking a significant shift in the country's asylum policies.
The deal, which was negotiated over several months, requires migrants fleeing persecution in El Salvador and Honduras to seek asylum in Guatemala, a gateway to Mexico and the United States.
According to Trump, the agreement will put 'coyotes and smugglers out of business' by preventing migrants from making a journey to the US border at the hands of smugglers.
US Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan echoed Trump's sentiments, stating that the agreement will increase the integrity of the US asylum process and help those with legitimate asylum claims to file them sooner.
However, Amnesty International condemned the agreement, calling it 'outrageous' and stating that Guatemala is not a safe place of refuge.
The deal was signed in the Oval Office by McAleenan and Guatemala's interior minister, Enrique Degenhart, and is expected to be up and running by August.
