El Salvador has introduced a $1,000 fee for passengers coming from India or Africa to curb migration to the United States through the Central American country, according to El Salvador”s port authority. The fee will increase to $1,130 with the value-added tax (VAT). The fee took effect on October 23, 2023.

Individuals traveling with passports from India and 50 African nations are required to pay a fee of $1,000. The funds collected will be used for the development of the country”s primary international airport, El Salvador”s port authority said in a statement.

Airlines have been instructed to provide daily reports of passengers arriving from a roster of 57 African countries and India to the Salvadoran authorities. Colombian airline Avianca has already been reaching out to travelers with a statement that those who are traveling from the listed countries must pay the mandatory fee before boarding.

The decision comes in the wake of a global trend where many countries, including Thailand, Barcelona, Valencia, Portugal, Belgium, Venice, Austria, Bhutan, and France, have started demanding fees from travelers from specific countries.

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador met with Brian Nichols, the US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, before implementing this decision. According to reports, the US Customs and Border Patrol has detected 3.2 million migrants passing through Central America over the fiscal year 2023.