Why is El Salvador charging Indians and Africans a $1,000 travel fee?

If you were considering a trip to the US via El Salvador, be prepared for an additional financial burden. The Central American country has imposed an extra $1,000 (83,242 INR) fee on travellers arriving from India and Africa.

What's the deal?

• In an effort to control migration to the US through their country, El Salvador is enforcing an additional charge of 82,000 INR specifically on Indian nationals and citizens of 50 African nations.
• It's important to note that this fee does not include the Value Added Tax (VAT), pushing the total amount to $1,130 (94,043 INR).

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele recently held a meeting with Brian Nichols, the US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs on September 26, to discuss strategies for managing irregular migration, along with other pertinent issues.

In the fiscal year 2023, US Customs and Border Patrol encountered a staggering 3.2 million migrants across the country, setting a record for the highest numbers encountered thus far.

Reasons behind the decision

• Primarily aimed at curbing migration, the imposition of this fee is also linked to the increasing traffic at the country's primary international airport, as stated in the official release on El Salvador's website.

• The revenue generated from this 'fee' will be directed towards the airport's development initiatives.

• Additionally, airlines are mandated to provide Salvadoran authorities with daily updates on passengers arriving from a specified list of 57 countries in Africa and India.

• The implementation of the fee collection process took effect on October 23.

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