The United States took steps today to impose visa restrictions on senior officials of a European charter flight company for facilitating irregular migration to the United States through Nicaragua. These continuing U.S. actions respond to the growing trend of charter airlines offering flights into Nicaragua designed primarily for irregular migrants.
No one should profit from vulnerable migrants-not smugglers, private companies, or public officials. We will continue to impose visa restrictions against unscrupulous transportation company owners, executives, and senior officials as part of our broader campaign against such exploitative practices within and beyond the Western Hemisphere, in collaboration with partners in government and in the private sector. This visa restriction policy is global and also applies to individuals who otherwise qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. These actions were taken pursuant to section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
