El Salvador has recently introduced a substantial fee of $1,000 (equivalent to Rs 83,219.75) for travelers originating from India and over 50 African nations. This initiative is part of their broader strategy to alleviate migration through the Central American nation toward the United States, as per a report by Bloomberg News.
The fee requirement was formally announced by El Salvador's port authority through an official statement dated October 20. It specifically targets individuals holding passports from India and the designated African countries mentioned in the statement.
When accounting for the value-added tax (VAT), the overall additional expense for travelers from these affected nations amounts to $1,130 (equivalent to Rs 94,038.32).
This fee officially came into effect on October 23 and was implemented in response to the heightened utilization of El Salvador's primary international airport, as indicated in the official statement.
The revenue generated through this fee will be earmarked for the purpose of improving the infrastructure of the nation's primary international airport, in accordance with the port authority's statement.
Recently, El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, engaged in discussions with Brian Nichols, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Their conversations covered a range of topics, including bilateral cooperation in upholding the rule of law and collaborative endeavors to address irregular migration.
The introduction of this new fee coincides with a situation where the United States Customs and Border Protection faced an unprecedented surge of 3.2 million migrants in the fiscal year 2023, concluding in September. A significant number of these migrants arrive in the United States via Central America.
Airlines are now obligated to provide daily notifications to Salvadoran authorities regarding passengers arriving from the list of 57 countries in Africa and India.
Major carriers, such as Avianca, which frequently utilize the airport as a hub, have commenced informing travelers originating from these countries about the mandatory fee, which must be settled before boarding flights destined for El Salvador.
