El Salvador offers to accept U.S. Deportees of any nationality, including violent criminals
Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has agreed to accept deportees from the United States, regardless of their nationality, and even violent American criminals currently imprisoned in the U.S. Calling it an "unprecedented migratory agreement," Rubio praised the Salvadoran government’s willingness to support Washington’s immigration policies.
During his visit to San Salvador, Rubio emphasized the Trump administration’s efforts to curb migration to the U.S. by securing cooperation from regional governments. His trip follows a stop in Panama, where he oversaw a U.S.-funded deportation flight carrying 43 migrants from Panama to Colombia. The U.S. has been pressing Central American nations to enhance border enforcement and facilitate deportations.
The Trump administration has prioritized mass deportations and has increased financial support to regional governments to assist in these efforts. Since signing an agreement with Panama, the U.S. has contributed nearly $2.7 million to fund deportation flights. Rubio, who personally witnessed a deportation operation in Panama City, described mass migration as a global crisis, acknowledging the hardships faced by migrants while reinforcing the U.S. commitment to stricter immigration policies.
A potential "safe third country" agreement with El Salvador is being discussed, which could allow non-Salvadoran migrants, including convicted Venezuelan gang members, to be deported there if Venezuela refuses to accept them. Bukele confirmed that the final details of the agreement are being worked out and will be announced soon.
However, human rights groups have expressed concerns, arguing that El Salvador lacks a structured policy to handle asylum seekers and deportees. Critics, including opposition leader Manuel Flores, condemned the move, suggesting it turns the region into a dumping ground for migrants unwanted by the U.S.
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4.4 magnitude quake hits northern Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): A 4.4 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of north and northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, the second tremor to hit the country in as many days.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The earthquake that struck at 9:30 am (local time) originated at a depth of 14 kilometres with its epicentre located 11 kms northeast of Burhan, Attock, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad.
Tremors were felt in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The Saturday morning quake came less than 24 hours after a 5.9 magnitude temblor struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad, on Friday.
The epicentre of that quake at 6:09 pm (local time) was in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region at a depth of 101 kilometres.
Earthquakes are common in northern Pakistan due to its location in the Himalayas where the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
Earlier, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit Balochistan province on February 13 but no loss to life or property was reported there too. Its epicentre was 86 kms northeast of Khuzdar town of the province.
The quake was preceded on the same day by another tremor of magnitude 3.8 that struck 75 kms southeast of Khuzdar at a depth of 33 kms.
The worst quake the country suffered was in 2005, which killed about 74,000 people.
