Communities in Crisis - Policy Recommendations to Address the Humanitarian Crisis in Northern Central America

● The Biden Administration has committed to investing in both humanitarian and development aid to Northern Central America and working closely with civil society, international organizations, and the governments in the region to address the multi-factorial causes of migration in the region; build, strengthen, and expand Central and North American countries’ asylum systems and resettlement capacity. [...] The current perceived increase in migration in the region is largely due to the fact that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the root drivers of migration have remained, and even worsened. [...] As the living conditions worsen in the region, the migration flows risk further destabilization of the region and the lack of true safe options before reaching the United States, will continue to have a direct impact on the United States, its borders, and immigration and asylum systems. [...] 2 Sustaining this approach and meaningfully addressing the humanitarian crisis in the region will require tailored policies and initiatives that seek to directly solve both the root causes of migration and the consequences of the continued regional crisis.3 It will also require the Administration to implement policies that protect the right to seek asylum while implementing a humanitarian based re. [...] Our presence and programs in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, as well as in Mexico, have allowed IRC to gain a deep understanding of the root causes of migration through a humanitarian and development lens by delivering services and humanitarian assistance to migrants on the move, refugees, asylum seekers and returnees: ● In Northern Central America, the IRC serves individuals and families ex.