Maduro Urges Migrants To Return Home After US Cancels CBP One Appointments

President Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday encouraged migrants to come back home after their appointments to enter the United States were canceled due to new policies under the Trump administration.

Maduro's comments came following a statement from Washington and US Customs and Border Protection on Monday that the CBP One app will no longer be used to allow migrants into the U.S., Euro News reported.

The CBP One app has allowed nearly 1 million people to enter the United States since it was launched in January 2023. However, after President Donald Trump took office, thousands of applicants were informed that their February appointments were canceled.

In a televised speech, Maduro said the returning migrants would regain respect as individuals and have the chance to reunite and celebrate with their families and friends.

"I always say, my dear migrants brothers and sisters, Venezuela is waiting for you," he said, Euro News reported. Everyone will return so we can be happy in this land - working, producing and hugging each other. And you will also have back the most sacred right: the right to party."

In 2018, Venezuela's government introduced the "Return to the Homeland Plan" to encourage migrants to come back to the country. Since then, Maduro's government has organized chartered flights to bring migrants home from other South American countries and even the U.S.

These flights resumed in 2023 after being paused for several years. Maduro was sworn in for a third term as president earlier this year. However, his inauguration faced criticism, with Venezuela's opposition and the European Union calling it illegitimate due to accusations of fraudulent voting.

The United States also criticized the Venezuelan election as a "sham," and imposed additional sanctions on the country. It even raised the reward to $25 million (€23.9m) for information that could help bring President Maduro to justice.

During Maduro's ten years in power, millions of Venezuelans left the country due to political instability, economic problems, and severe shortages of essentials like food, medicine, and electricity.

Last year, the officials in the Mexican city of Tijuana reportedly expected a surge in migration from Venezuela in the upcoming months, amid instability following the presidential elections last month.

Venezuela witnessed the presidential elections on July 28, following which, the country's electoral authority declared Maduro the winner.