Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas welcomed Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo, and their delegation to the White House on June 10, 2023. The delegations recalled their respective announcements on June 4 and 5, 2023, describing their collaboration on migration and regional development. During the meeting, the two sides underscored the need to open new and flexible legal pathways to reduce irregular migration. They decided to proceed on June 19, 2023 with an initial six-month implementation phase of the Safe Mobility Offices (SMOs), receiving applications from migrants for the purpose of identifying and registering irregular migrants that, as of today, are present in the country, and advising them on safe, regular, legal pathways for migration. Furthermore, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to concurrently expand legal pathways for Colombian nationals, including through labor and family reunification opportunities. These steps will be undertaken in the context of the commitments contained in the joint statement of June 5, 2023 regarding the need for broader efforts to deliver social services, create employment, and generate economically sustainable opportunities for communities along Colombia’s borders.

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