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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thousands of <keyword id="19953645" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chinese-migrants" source="keywords">Chinese migrants</keyword> flew into Ecuador last year in hopes of walking into the US.</li><li>But Ecuador is now cutting its yearslong <keyword id="22159339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa-free-access" source="keywords">visa-free access</keyword> to Chinese citizens after a surge in <keyword id="19929766" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="migrants" source="keywords">migrants</keyword>.</li></ul>Ecuador is suspending visa-free access for Chinese travelers starting July 1, closing off a popular arrival spot used last year by thousands of Chinese migrants trekking to the <keyword id="19953646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Mexico-border" source="keywords">US-Mexico border</keyword>. Since 2016, Ecuador has allowed Chinese nationals to enter its borders without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. But in a statement on Tuesday seen by Business Insider, the <keyword id="20245662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ministry-of-foreign-affairs" source="keywords">Ministry of Foreign Affairs</keyword> and Human Mobility said it was ending the program "due to the unusual increase in irregular migratory flows of Chinese citizens" who overstayed their 90 days. It is only one of two nations in the Americas that offers visa-free access to Chinese nationals. The other is Suriname, a smaller country of about 618,000 people. The Ecuadorian ministry noted that about 50% of all Chinese arrivals "have not left through regular routes and within the times established by law." Many people have used the country as a "starting point to reach other destinations in the Hemisphere," the ministry added. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.niskanencenter.org/new-data-suggests-political-repression-slowing-economy-driving-irregular-chinese-migration-to-u-s/">The Niskanen Center</a> assessed in May that Chinese travelers entered Ecuador 48,381 times in 2023 but only left the country legally 24,240 times that year. The deficit was "by far the highest number of any nationality," the US think tank wrote. It comes amid a surge in Chinese arrivals that year, with a 235% increase compared to the previous five-year average, per the Niskanen Center. The visa-free access recently made Ecuador a major entry point into the Americas for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukkLIFQWG4g&amp;t=1735s&amp;ab_channel=CNAInsider">Chinese migrants looking to travel through Central America and reach the US-Mexico border.</a> In response to Ecuador's Tuesday decision, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/fyrbt_673021/jzhsl_673025/202406/t20240618_11437859.shtml">Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson</a> said the country "firmly opposes any form of <keyword id="22159340" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smuggling-activities" source="keywords">smuggling activities</keyword>." "In recent years, Chinese law enforcement agencies have cracked down on crimes that hinder national border management and have maintained a high-pressure crackdown on various smuggling organizations and criminals engaged in smuggling activities, achieving remarkable results," the spokesperson said. <h2>How Chinese migrants use Ecuador to get to the US</h2>Thousands of migrants fly into Ecuador before traveling through Colombia, where they begin a grueling trek on <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/15/americas/darien-gap-migrants-colombia-panama-whole-story-cmd-intl/index.html" target="_blank">a perilous, cartel-run route</a> through a stretch of jungle called the <keyword id="22159341" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Darin-Gap" source="keywords">Darién Gap</keyword>. If successful, they emerge in Panama. Over 15,500 Chinese migrants were counted exiting the Darién Gap in 2023, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/through-darien-gap-new-path-chinese-asylum-seekers-united-states">Washington-based think tank The Wilson Center.</a> "This figure is nearly eight times as many from the same period in 2022 and more than 40 times that of 2021," wrote Joshua Peng, a program associate in refugee and displacement research at The Wilson Center. Many migrants then travel to Mexico, attempting to reach the US through its southern border. <keyword id="19959298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-border" source="keywords">US border</keyword> officials said they <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/china-immigration-border-deportation-mayorkas-514f42ee56e80fe7eb7f9fcc71c4d55c">detained 37,000 Chinese migrants attempting to cross the border in 2023</a>, or 10 times the number detained in the year before. The true number of those attempting to cross the border is likely higher. <div type="image" title="Chinese migrants huddle in a line to receive colored wristbands from a US Border Patrol agent at a makeshift camp." height="2667" width="4000" msid="111136208" hostid="261"></div>The flow of Chinese migrants continued to surge in 2024, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-border-mexico-chinese-migrants-60-minutes/">CBS reporting</a> in February that it observed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-migrants-guide-douyin-how-to-cross-us-border-cbs-2024-2">600 migrants, many of whom were Chinese, entering the US in a single day.</a> The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability <a target="_blank" href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/05/11/media-advisory-homeland-subcommittee-hearing-on-unprecedented-surge-of-chinese-illegal-immigration/">said in May</a> that the number of Chinese nationals encountered by authorities at the US border in March had jumped 8,000% from the same period in 2021. <keyword id="19959299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal-immigration" source="keywords">Illegal immigration</keyword> from the southern border has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-want-to-kill-bipartisan-border-bill-help-trump-campaign-2024-1">rising in political prominence</a> in the US, with Republican leaders <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-spent-nearly-9-million-busing-migrants-over-holidays-2023-1">pushing for increased border security</a> and saying southern states are unable to cope with a surge in migrants. Data on Chinese arrivals in Ecuador give some clues to the demographics of migrants reaching the US. According to the Niskanen Center, Shanghai is the Chinese region with the highest per-capita rate of people leaving to reach Ecuador, with 274 arrivals for every 1 million people in Shanghai. Hong Kong is second, with 257 arrivals per 1 million people, followed by Beijing, with 161 arrivals per 1 million people. Xinjiang is sixth, with 24 arrivals per 1 million people. Correction: June 21, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the country Colombia.

The thousands of Chinese migrants headed to the US-Mexico border just lost their key entry point to America

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a Truth Social post, Trump named Thomas Homan to lead mass deportation efforts as "border czar."</li><li>Homan, former acting ICE director early in Trump's first term, will oversee border, maritime, and aviation security.</li></ul>President-elect <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-leaders-react-donald-trump-winning-election-silicon-valley-2024-11">Donald Trump</a> announced on Sunday he named Thomas Homan to direct what he has called the nation's largest mass deportation effort in history.Homan would act as Trump's "border czar" after previously serving as Trump's first acting director of US <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ice-immigration-customs-enforcement-training-deescalation-use-of-force-2024-8">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>."I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders," Trump <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113462412414821782">posted</a> on Truth Social. "Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job.Trump said Homan would be in charge of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-policy-ai-tech-worker-shortage-2024-11">border</a>, maritime, and aviation security. Trump did not elaborate on the exact details of Homan's role.The Trump-Vance transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Homan worked as a Border Patrol agent before rising to become executive associate director for enforcement and removal operations at ICE <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/04/25/meet-the-man-the-white-house-has-honored-for-deporting-illegal-immigrants/">under former President Barack Obama</a>.Homan said in an October "60 Minutes" <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mass-deportation-plan-cost-consequences-60-minutes-transcript/">interview</a> that mass deportations have to be done "on the heels of [a] historic illegal immigration crisis," saying that this won't be "a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-election-win-high-inflation-risk-tariffs-deportations-taxes-2024-11">mass sweep</a> of neighborhoods" or "building concentration camps." Homan said that arrests will be targeted due to "investigative processes." He added that work-site enforcement operations will occur, which the Biden administration <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/politics/ice-workplace-raids/index.html">halted</a>."It's where we find a lot of trafficking cases, women and children who are forced into forced labor to pay off their smuggling fees," Homan said in the interview.Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump spoke about how he would deport millions of immigrants who are in the US illegally, aiming to increase citizen safety, boost job opportunities for native-born workers, and lower housing costs. Trump's campaign never elaborated on how exactly mass deportations would work, though <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html">The New York Times reported</a> that Trump would reassign federal agents and recruit from local police forces for larger and more widespread ICE raids.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-taps-tom-homan-as-border-czar-fac81082">The Wall Street Journal reported</a> that Trump is expected to sign an executive order ordering agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to begin those deportations. The Journal also reported that Trump's team has discussed how to finance mass deportations, which the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/mass-deportation">American Immigration Council</a> estimated could cost as much as $315 billion between detainments, arrests, legal processing, and removals.The first Trump administration carried out about 1.5 million deportations, the Migration Policy Institute <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/biden-deportation-record">reported</a>.Last month, Business Insider <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-harris-immigration-jobs-arizona-economy-mass-deportation-employment-wages-2024-10">interviewed</a> over a dozen economists, mayors in swing states, and immigrants in the US illegally about what mass deportations could mean for the economy and local communities. Most agreed that mass deportations could increase inflation, lower GDP, and negatively impact the job market over the next few years."We really don't see much evidence of substitution between unauthorized immigrants and US-born people at all," <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.brookings.edu/people/chloe-east/">Chloe East</a>, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, previously told BI. "That's partly because the jobs that unauthorized immigrants are willing to take are lower-paying, are more dangerous, and are less desirable for other reasons."Trump has begun filling roles in his incoming administration, such as selecting New York Rep. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/us/politics/trump-stefanik-un-ambassador.html">Elise Stefanik</a> as US ambassador to the United Nations and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/07/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-susie-wiles-00188391">Susie Wiles</a> as White House chief of staff.

Trump's pick for 'border czar' gives a peek into his plan for a mass deportation

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Russian general dissolved a group charged with the protection of Kursk's borders early this year.</li><li>Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin said Russia's military was strong enough, a security official said.</li></ul>A Russian general disbanded a group charged with protecting Kursk's borders months before Ukraine's surprise incursion, The Wall Street Journal <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/how-a-generals-blunder-left-russias-border-vulnerable-9a624abd?mod=hp_lead_pos8">reported</a>, citing an unnamed official in Russia's security services.Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin was <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://kremlin.ru/supplement/6129">appointed</a> commander of the Leningrad Military District in May and was in charge of overseeing security in the Kursk region.Lapin presided over the dissolution of an interagency council consisting of military personnel and local and regional security officials that would have coordinated a response to Ukraine's incursion this month.According to the official, Lapin said that Russia's military had the strength and resources to defend the border on its own.It's unclear how effective the agency's response would have been to Ukraine's surprise attack, per the outlet. But without it, Russia has definitely struggled to push back Ukraine's forces.Ukraine caught <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-attack-kursk-russia-shows-surprise-possible-despite-drones-isw-2024-8">Russia</a> — as well as its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-west-in-the-dark-ahead-ukraine-kursk-assault-report-2024-8">Western allies</a> — off guard on August 6 by launching a surprise attack on the Kursk border region, grabbing around <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-rapid-assault-kursk-russia-shows-learned-from-war-isw-2024-8">386 miles of territory</a> in a matter of days.In the past two weeks, Ukraine says its forces have captured <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-captured-more-territory-kursk-than-russia-seized-ukraine-year-2024-8">as much territory as Russia has</a> this year, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-takes-out-bridges-in-kursk-isolate-russia-troops-experts-2024-8">destroyed</a> at least two bridges, cutting off Russian soldiers from supplies and consolidating Ukraine's grasp over the area.On Tuesday, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces had pushed Russian soldiers back <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-captured-more-territory-kursk-than-russia-seized-ukraine-year-2024-8">up to 22 miles</a> into Russia, and had captured 99 settlements.Business Insider couldn't independently verify these numbers.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/UAControlMap/status/1826045851782803519">Geolocated</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/creamy_caprice/6436">footage</a> shared by <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/rybar/62924">military</a> observers on Tuesday showed Ukrainian forces reaching an area 12 miles inside the country.Russia, meanwhile, has struggled to respond quickly and effectively to the attack, in part due to its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kursk-ukraine-exploited-russias-dysfunctional-military-command-2024-8">complex military structures</a> and a lack of contingency plans.It's also been forced to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-likely-moved-thousands-troops-ukraine-frontline-to-kursk-us-2024-8">divert troops</a> from the fighting in eastern Ukraine.While the incursion — now in its third week — appears to be making advances in Kursk, it <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ukraine-audacious-military-offensive-kursk-russia-could-backfire-experts-2024-8">could easily backfire on Ukraine</a>.A Ukrainian commander told the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-soldiers-face-shell-shortage-east-kursk-russia-offensive-commander-2024-8">Financial Times</a> this week that Russian soldiers were making advances in eastern Ukraine due to ammunition being redirected for military operations in Kursk, forcing his soldiers to ration cannon shells.According to Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute, manpower is the main risk for Ukraine.If Ukrainian forces try to hold Kursk in the long term, they will extend the front line of the fight, he told Business Insider on Tuesday."This raises the stakes and may result in them committing beyond a sustainable position," he said.Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, made a similar assessment in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-soldiers-face-shell-shortage-east-kursk-russia-offensive-commander-2024-8">update</a> on Sunday.They also said that because of the size of the conflict, neither Russia nor Ukraine can win the war with a single campaign.

A Russian general dismantled a border-protection group not long before Ukraine attacked, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump said he'd take the blame for the potential collapse of a bipartisan border deal.</li><li>"There is zero chance I will support this horrible open borders betrayal," he said on Saturday.</li></ul>Former President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was willing to take responsibility for the potential demise of a bipartisan border deal that's being ironed out in the Senate.During a campaign appearance in Las Vegas, Trump spoke out against congressional efforts to broker an immigration agreement amid the former president's sustained attacks against President Joe Biden on the explosive issue."As the leader of our party, there is zero chance I will support this horrible open borders betrayal of America," the former president told his supporters. "I'll fight it all the way. A lot of the senators are trying to say, respectfully, they're blaming it on me.""I say, that's OK," he continued. "Please blame it on me. Please."Trump has long hammered Biden over immigration, arguing that the US-Mexico border is in a perilous state given <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/migrant-surge-overwhelms-border-agents-as-smugglers-target-remote-stretches-d2b0ce07">the record numbers of illegal migrant crossings</a> that have overwhelmed enforcement agencies. The Biden administration had sought to pivot away from many of Trump's immigration policies, but the president has repeatedly found himself in the middle of the issue, mostly due to the record crossings and the fallout from GOP governors like Greg Abbott of Texas who have sent thousands of migrants to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington.Biden on Friday said he would "shut down" the US-Mexico border when crossings rise to staggering levels if Congress passed the compromise bill, which he said would be "the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we've ever had in our country.""It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed," Biden said in a statement. "And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law."But Trump, who has staked his 2024 campaign on immigration and remains the favorite to capture the Republican presidential nomination, has dismissed the proposal and wants GOP lawmakers to reject it as well.Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111828263325557734">in a Truth Social post</a> on Saturday wrote: "A BAD BORDER DEAL IS FAR WORSE THAN NO BORDER DEAL!"The border security plan — which is tied to funding for Ukraine — is being hashed out in the Democratic-controlled Senate. However, even if a bill passes, it'll face stiff resistance among far-right conservatives in the GOP-run House. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana on Friday wrote a letter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/26/mike-johnson-senate-border-deal">describing the proposed border bill</a> as "dead on arrival" in the lower chamber.Trump on Saturday said that Biden can easily secure the border and doesn't need Congress to pass additional legislation to so so."I did it without a bill," the former president said in his remarks.But former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke blasted Trump over the issue during a recent CNN interview, arguing that the former president and his GOP allies don't want to tackle border security."It is very clear that Donald Trump and his Republican Party do not want a solution," O'Rourke said on Saturday. "For all of the bluster about the chaos at the border and 'invasion' that they are talking about, he and his Republican Party are tanking the best offer that they're ever gonna get from President Biden and from Senate Democrats."Last week, the US Supreme Court <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/us/politics/supreme-court-texas-border-barbed-wire.html">voted 5-4</a> in backing the federal government's power to remove concertina wire along parts of the US-Mexico border. But Abbott has announced that Texas will install more wiring along the border.

Trump says he should be held responsible if the bipartisan border security deal fails: 'Please blame it on me'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Making mortgages portable could help unfreeze the US housing market, experts say.</li><li>Letting people keep cheap mortgage rates when they move could boost listings and transactions.</li></ul>Copying the way mortgages work in countries such as Canada and the UK could help thaw the <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/housing-market-explained-mortgage-rates-fed-inventory-home-prices-house-2023-6#:~:text=The%20explanation%20boils%20down%20to,slammed%20by%20higher%20mortgage%20rates.">frozen US housing market</a>, experts say.Home listings and transactions have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-outlook-home-sales-affordable-inventory-demographics-population-property-2024-1">plummeted</a> in recent years, as homeowners who've locked in cheap 30-year mortgage rates are loath to lose them by selling up and taking on a new mortgage when rates are now above 7%.Prospective buyers are also balking at paying such high mortgage rates, especially when national home prices are near record levels, fueling an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zandi-moodys-house-prices-mortgage-interest-rates-affordability-crisis-market-2024-1">affordability crisis</a>.The US housing market differs from most because the vast majority of mortgages are not assumable, meaning a buyer can take on a seller's mortgage when they purchase their home. Nor are they portable, which means borrowers can transfer their existing mortgage to another property.Offering portable mortgages would enable hesitant sellers to keep their rock-bottom mortgage rates when they move, potentially boosting overall inventory and transaction volumes."The main benefit of introducing a feature like portability is that it could 'unfreeze' housing markets to some extent by allowing homeowners to move without having to give up the low mortgage rates that they've locked in," Julia Fonseca, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told Business Insider.As for buyers, portability could make purchasing a home more attractive, as they wouldn't have to worry about rising mortgage rates locking them into keeping their new home.<h2>Potential downsides</h2>Still, debuting portable mortgages might be harder than it sounds.Fonseca warned that if the federal government rolled them out, it might have to compensate lenders and investors who already hold non-transferable mortgages and mortgage-backed securities to prevent a market revolt.Moreover, she said that homeowners might shy away from selling if they face additional fees or a complex porting process, depressing instead of raising inventory and transaction volumes.Portable mortgages would take time to introduce and might not be universally welcomed, Richard Martin, an associate professor of real estate at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, told BI."Adaptation would be slow and lenders don't really have the incentive to offer this option since the current situation in the US pretty much guarantees a new mortgage is originated at current market interest rates," he said.<h2>New problems</h2>In short, portable mortgages don't seem to be a panacea for the housing market's woes."Attempting to make them portable will not solve this problem without other problems," Susan Wachter, a real estate and finance professor at The Wharton School, told BI.She said people would likely hold portable mortgages for longer than standard ones, as they could keep them when they move homes.Loans that have longer durations increases the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-big-trouble-crash-bank-crisis-2024-2">interest-rate risk</a> to mortgage lenders, as they could be lumped with a lower-yielding asset for a long time if inflation jumps and rates rise, Wachter said. Equally, she noted that if rates fall and borrowers prepay their mortgages, lenders might see their income streams dwindle.Lenders would likely pass on the increased risk of 30-year mortgages by charging higher rates to borrowers, in Wachter's view. That could further drive up mortgage rates, which have soared because the Federal Reserve <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economic-outlook-fed-rate-cuts-hikes-recession-markets-investors-finance-2024-2">hiked its benchmark interest rate</a> from virtually zero to more than 5% to curb inflation.Wachter noted that launching portable mortgages was likely to disrupt a mortgage market in which borrowers typically have to pay off their mortgages in full when they sell their homes because due-on-sale clauses are standard.Portable mortgages could also harm the ability of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-cant-millennials-buy-homes-first-time-buyers-mortgage-rates-2023-12">people with poor credit to purchase a home</a> — as lenders would likely focus more on individual creditworthiness and less on a single property's value, Wachter added.She suggested the best fix for the frozen housing market will be if inflation cools, the Fed cuts interest rates, and mortgage rates fall to historical norms.<h2>"Lock-in" effect</h2>Wachter also defended the standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the US, saying it protects borrowers from faster inflation and rate hikes forcing them to sell their homes.On the other hand, the "lock-in effect" may have hampered the Fed's efforts to combat inflation. The central bank hikes rates partly because that increases monthly mortgage payments, leaving homeowners with less disposable income. That can help to temper consumer spending and cool the economy down.However, long-term, fixed-rate mortgages dilute the impact of Fed hikes. Portable mortgages might dampen it even more by freeing Americans to sell their homes without taking on higher rates, potentially prolonging inflation.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that direct the mortgage market, would have to be on board to make mortgage portability a reality, but that doesn't appear to be the case.The two agencies remain in conservatorship, and a representative for the Federal Housing Finance Agency which supervises that arrangement, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanbanker.com/news/is-portability-the-cure-to-the-mortgage-markets-woes">told American Banker</a> late last year that the idea was not being considered at this time.While portable mortgages have their benefits, their numerous potential downsides appear to limit the chance they'll be introduced in the US anytime soon.

How the Canadian mortgage model could help unfreeze the housing market

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Poland unveiled a plan for new defenses along its borders with Russia and Belarus.</li><li>Poland and other European NATO members are warning that Russia could launch an attack.</li></ul>A NATO country unveiled a new plan for its border intended to defend against attacks coming from Russia.Poland's defense ministry on Monday touted its "east shield," an operation to strengthen its eastern border with Russia and Belarus.It said the effort would be the largest defensive effort on NATO's eastern flank since World War II ended in 1945.A diagram released as part of a policy document showed one segment of the planned "border zone."It featured at least eight distinct types of defense:<ul><li>A permanent fence</li><li>Barbed wire</li><li>An anti-tank ditch</li><li>A field of anti-tank obstacles (known as hedgehogs)</li><li>Mines</li><li>Another ditch</li><li>A layer of vegetation</li></ul>Officials also stated plans for increasing warning and tracking systems and anti-drone systems as well as preparing forward operating bases.The Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, General Wiesław Kukuła, said the project would strengthen Poland's resistance, limit the mobility of enemy troops, and protect Polish soldiers and civilians.The Russia-Poland border is with Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave to its north. It also shares a frontier with Belarus, a dictatorship considered a Russian puppet state that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/belarus-asks-russia-for-security-guarantee-if-attacked-ukraine-war-2023-4">has aided Russia with the invasion</a>.Further south, it borders Ukraine, where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-russia-invade-ukraine-putin-politics-motive-2023-6">Russia has been executing a full-scale invasion</a> since 2022.The plan said not all border areas would be fortified to maximum strength — but did not give a detailed breakdown. Poland has around 140 miles of border with Russia and around 250 miles with Belarus.It said the "east shield" plan will cover 435 miles of border in total.Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland's defense minister, said work on the defenses would start this year and end by 2028.Poland's deputy prime minister estimated the cost at $2.56 billion.<div type="image" title="Polish armed forces' Chief of Staff. Gen Wieslaw Kukula and Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk speak at podiums in front of flags and photos of defensive structures being built" height="1333" width="2000" msid="110505168" hostid="261" sizebytes="315856"></div>The project is being done in cooperation with the nearby Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, which Poland is working with to increase security in the region.All four countries used to be dominated by the Soviet Union and have been outspoken about the prospect of Russia attacking again.Poland and the Baltics have been Ukraine's most forthright allies, advocating for more dramatic responses than most Western countries.Poland spends a higher percentage of its GDP on defense than any other NATO member, including the US.<h2 id="dc52b865-962b-4448-9048-71f44eb4d99b">Warnings Russia could attack</h2>Poland is one of many European NATO members that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-better-positioned-attack-europe-before-ukraine-war-nato-lithuania-2024-2">warning that Russia may attack elsewhere in Europe</a> if it is not defeated in Ukraine. Because of NATO's collective defense clause, that would likely also bring the US into a wider war.The head of Poland's national security agency <a target="_blank" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/nato-attack-western-europe-polan-russia-b2458276.html">said</a> at the end of last year that Russia could attack NATO countries within three years — by 2026.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said in March that Europe was in a "pre-war era" and needed to prepare urgently.<h2 id="7eeada62-2fda-486c-ad0c-64c23ec9b2e7">Other Russian neighbors are boosting their borders</h2>Other countries near Russia are also increasing their border defenses.Baltic countries <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/estonia-latvia-lithuania-building-hundreds-bunkers-defend-against-russia-ukraine-2024-2">also plan</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/estonia-latvia-lithuania-building-hundreds-bunkers-defend-against-russia-ukraine-2024-2">big fortifications on their borders</a> with Russia and Belarus, including bunkers.Six NATO countries — Poland, Finland, Norway, and the three Baltic states — are also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-countries-plan-drone-wall-defend-themselves-russia-2024">reportedly planning a "drone wall"</a> to defend against Russia.Poland already has a border wall between it and Belarus, built by its previous government last year to prevent migration.Poland and its neighbors say Russia is targeting them by sending migrants across their borders and by launching cyberattacks, describing the actions as Russian efforts to destabilize Europe.

Image shows a 7-layer defensive line planned for the border between NATO and Russia

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6372909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="turkey" source="Orion">Turkey</keyword> may deploy its Russian S-400 Triumf air defenses on the Iraqi border.</li><li>US officials have warned Turkey against "activating" it.</li></ul>Turkey may deploy its advanced Russian S-400 Triumf air defenses on the Iraqi border for its planned summer offensive against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, in Iraqi Kurdistan. Such a move would mark the first operational deployment of the missile system since Ankara received it in 2019 to Western reproach. Turkiye newspaper reported earlier this month that Turkey's S-400s may be deployed on the border, implying it will defend against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/drone-hunting-drones-are-already-impacting-middle-east-conflicts-2024-4">drones allegedly acquired</a> by the PKK. But the system is effective against bigger threats than crude drones. It's designed to shoot down cruise and ballistic missiles like those fired by Iran in its unprecedented April 13 attack against Israel, and its deployment could worsen tensions with other NATO allies incensed that Turkey even has them. The deal for the S-400 cost Turkey an estimated $2.5 billion. Indirectly, it has cost it far more than that in losses of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/1908351/us-begins-process-of-unwinding-turkey-from-f-35-program-dod-officials-say/">over $9 billion</a> it could have made from manufacturing over 900 parts for the global F-35 supply chain. Washington banned Ankara from buying F-35s over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-militaries-buying-f35-jets-with-baffling-exception-of-turkey-2023-4">concerns</a> it would give Russian technicians data that spoils the fighter's stealth. On top of all that, the US slapped sanctions on Turkey's arms procurement agency. While enduring these penalties, Turkey <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-russia-s400-too-politically-costly-to-get-rid-of-2023-7">never put</a> the S-400 into service. Following the system's delivery, US officials warned Turkey against "activating" it. Turkey tested its F-16s and F-4 fighters against the S-400's radar in late 2019. Washington strongly rebuked Ankara in October 2020 for announcing it was testing the system. Since then, there has been no indication that Turkey's S-400s have been put into operation. In November 2022, then-Defense Minister Hulusi Akar <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/s-400-air-defense-system-ready-for-use-if-needed-defense-minister-178753">said</a> Ankara has "no problems with the S-400" and that the system "is in place and ready for use." Its purported upcoming deployment on the Iraqi border would be the first time Turkish S-400s have been put into use five years after Ankara received them. Ali Bakir, a Turkey expert at Qatar University's Ibn Khaldon Center and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, is skeptical of the report but doesn't outright dismiss the possibility. "This could be a trial balloon, an operational requirement due to the foreign threat in Northern Iraq, where Turkish troops are stationed, or simply untrue news," Bakir told Business Insider. "If the S-400 is deployed for operational needs, it could be to counter the potential threat of Iran's ballistic missiles." Even though Turkey's other air defenses are capable of combating aerial threats from the PKK, Turkey requires an advanced system for intercepting ballistic missiles fired from Iran. "Considering that Ankara has stationed troops in Northern Iraq, it would be more logical to deploy such a system to protect them during regional escalation or confrontation," Bakir said. "Iran has used missiles lately against Northern Iraq." Bakir said that the recent missile attacks between Israel and Iran may be a further rationale to deploy the S-400 in Turkey's east."Such deployment will serve Turkey's security as well as the security of Iraq, which is improving its ties with Ankara lately in an unprecedented way," Bakir said. Deploying S-400s as a contingency to counter Iranian missiles could create "an extremely complex situation" for Turkey, said Suleyman Ozeren, a lecturer at the American University and senior fellow at the Orion Policy Institute."Such a move might mean that Turkey would be using the Russian weapon system against Russia's most loyal ally in the Middle East," Ozeren told BI. "However, Turkey may use the potential threat of Iran-linked militia groups or PKK as a pretext to deploy S-400s." He predicts a deployment would serve three primary objectives. "First, the S-400s have been one of the most expensive yet least productive policy decisions," Ozeren said. "By deploying them and making a lot of noise about it, the AKP may aim to silence critics at home." The AKP is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party, which decided to buy the S-400 in the late 2010s and has defended the contentious purchase ever since. "Second, Ankara may want to prove to Moscow that its military cooperation still stands," Ozeren said. "Third, such a decision may aim to send a message to the West — primarily to the US — that Ankara's position vis-à-vis Russia and NATO remains unchanged." He noted the Turkish S-400 is a "standalone system" incompatible with NATO systems, limiting its use and confirming its "high cost and lack of functionality." A Turkish deployment could escalate the lingering dispute with the US. In January, then-Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-30/us-ready-to-reopen-turkey-f-35-talks-if-russian-s-400-system-issue-resolved">said</a> Washington could discuss readmitting Ankara into the F-35 program if it resolves the S-400 issue. "The problem is not about where Ankara deploys S-400s but about the S-400 remaining in Turkey's possession," Ozeren said. Bakir argued that weapons are purchased "with the intention of use" for either "offensive or defensive purposes." "Even if Turkey were to hypothetically trade the S-400, the US could still mishandle the case of the F-35," Bakir said. "There is no guarantee that Congress will not attempt to pressure Ankara in the future." Ozeren, in contrast, reiterated that the fundamental problem is Ankara's "purely political" decision to purchase S-400s, which he argued was motivated by the AKP's desire to distance Turkey from NATO. "Such a goal was unattainable and unrealistic given the extent of Turkey's integration into the NATO defense system," Ozeren said. "The S-400 decision has left Ankara in a precarious situation that has remained unchanged." "No matter the AKP's motivations back then, reality dictates that the ruling party reverse its course and go back to a stronger alliance with NATO."

Turkey may soon put its controversial Russian S-400 air defenses in operation 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US is trying to shut down the Darién Gap, a land route used by thousands to reach its borders.</li><li>It's paying for migrants' repatriation out of Panama in exchange for the latter closing the corridor.</li></ul>The US has agreed to fund repatriation for people who entered Panama illegally in exchange for the latter shutting down a main corridor for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-migrants-ecuador-key-entry-point-visa-free-access-2024-6">migrants traveling by land</a> to the US-Mexico border."This program will help the Panamanian government to remove foreign nationals who do not have a legal basis to remain in Panama," the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2024/07/01/united-states-signs-arrangement-panama-implement-removal-flight-program">Department of Homeland Security wrote in a statement on Monday.</a>The funding will involve the US paying for flights out of Panama and "supporting training and capacity building to strengthen and institutionalize safe, humane repatriation processes," the statement said.The amount allocated to these flights, provided by the State Department, was not announced.<div type="image" title="Migrants arrive at the Reception Center for Migrant Care in Lajas Blancas, in the jungle province of Darien, Panama, on June 28, 2024." height="4128" width="6192" msid="111424810" hostid="261" sizebytes="2381758"></div>The <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-removal-homeland-security-panama-9b6056567ec797140dfae1d7efe4f693">Associated Press reported</a> that the new deal will see the US paying for charter and commercial flights to return migrants to their home countries.It cited two senior administration officials who were not named, who also said Panama would choose who is repatriated based on its laws.This agreement, signed by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, comes as Panama inaugurates its new president, José Raúl Mulino.It will see Panama closing off the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/darien-gap-2017-3">Darién Gap</a>, a treacherous stretch of rainforest that at least 520,000 migrants walked through in 2023 on their way north. Another 174,000 people were recorded using the route this year.<div type="image" title="Migrants walk by the jungle near Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darien Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023." height="2667" width="4000" msid="111424805" hostid="261" sizebytes="699832"></div>The corridor, regularly plied by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colombian-cartel-profiting-off-of-migrants-going-through-deadly-jungle-2021-10">cartels and paramilitary forces</a>, starts in Colombia and ends in Panama. It typically takes about 5 days or more of arduous trekking to finish the 66-mile journey.Several popular exit points from the Darién Gap are staffed by humanitarian agencies such as Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF, who provide medical aid and essentials to the migrants but are increasingly <a target="_blank" href="https://reliefweb.int/report/panama/migrants-arriving-panama-urgent-need-assistance">overwhelmed by a growing influx of trekkers.</a><div type="image" title="Migrants line up to receive food at the Reception Center for Migrant Care in Lajas Blancas, in the jungle province of Darién, Panama, on June 27, 2024." height="5454" width="8181" msid="111424811" hostid="261" sizebytes="1815190"></div>The Panamanian government has typically not repatriated migrants who enter the country via the Darién Gap, but it's been managing some infrastructure to house them as they pass through.Once in Panama, many migrants continue their journey through Central America, crossing at least five transnational borders to reach Mexico and eventually making their way to the US southern border.US border patrol encounters with migrants in the southwest hit record highs in December, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters">with over 301,000 incidents logged</a>. Nearly 2.5 million migrant encounters were reported in the 2023 fiscal year, and this year's numbers are on track to hit a similar level.<h2 id="d22cec2b-9d91-4f84-8097-078077989e89">Authorities already struggle to manage the Darién Gap</h2>Yet closing the Darién Gap is no small feat. In April 2023, the US and Panama launched a <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">60-day campaign</a> to curb illegal migration from the corridor.In June of that year, Panama <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-darien-colombia-migrants-1644cedd4389825fecda77bf26415290">assigned 1,200 immigration agents, border police, and naval air service members</a> to target criminal groups that guide and exploit migrants traveling through the Darién Gap.Hundreds of thousands still used the crossing afterward.<div type="image" title="Migrants walk by the jungle near Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darién Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023." height="2667" width="4000" msid="111424808" hostid="261" sizebytes="1118704"></div>Mulino, Panama's new president, has vowed to solve immigration issues in the country. He <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-mulino-immigration-darien-gap-31f214b8c9885c6e9f943c5ed9cc9ac1">announced on his first day in office</a> that the country would no longer be "a path open to thousands of people who enter our country illegally."Illegal immigration has increasingly come under the spotlight in US politics, particularly for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-trump-immigration-ukraine-deal-mike-johnson-congress-republicans-2">Republican leaders</a> who have accused the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-border-security-biden-trump-2024-election">Biden administration</a> of allowing border security to grow lax.On June 4, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/06/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-secure-the-border/#:~:text=President%20Biden%20issued%20a%20proclamation,into%20the%20United%20States%20unlawfully.">temporarily restricts entry for non-US citizens</a> who enter through the southwest border illegally. His campaign highlighted that <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/26/politics/migrant-apprehensions-dropped-40-percent/index.html">border officials' seven-day encounter average dropped 40%</a>.But managing the immigration crisis is proving to be a delicate political and economic balancing act. Biden previously came under fire from progressives for referring to a Venezuelan migrant charged with murder as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/progressive-democrats-biden-laken-riley-immigration-illegal-state-union-2024-3">"an illegal."</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-us-labor-jobs-market-growth-recession-oversupply-outlook-layoffs-2024-4">Several analysts</a> also say immigrants have helped <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigration-labor-shortage-immigrants-us-economy-jobs-workers-retirement-inflation-2024-2">relieve a labor shortage in the US</a> and that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stagflation-recession-trump-policy-tariff-immigration-deportation-economy-outlook-jpmorgan-2024-7">overly aggressive deportation programs</a>, such as the one suggested by presidential candidate Donald Trump, would risk stagnating the economy.

The US will pay for migrants' flights out of Panama to close a route used by over 700,000 people to reach the US-Mexico border

<ul class="summary-list"><li>South Korea has resumed live-fire drills after seven years.</li><li>South Korea previously paused the drills due to a 2018 military accord, which North Korea is accused of violating 3,600 times.</li></ul>The South Korean military resumed live-fire drills on border islands Wednesday after a seven-year pause. The exercise follows a failed North Korean missile test and a flurry of other activity and comes as the two countries battle with balloons.North Korea conducted a suspected hypersonic missile test Wednesday morning, but it is believed to have exploded in midair. The launch came as North Korea expresses frustration with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-aircraft-carrier-south-korea-north-korea-russia-putin-kim-2024-6">trilateral drills</a> between the US, South Korea, and Japan, for which a US Navy aircraft carrier is present.Not long after, South Korea restarted its own firing drills on the border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong.The South Korean Marine Corps <a target="_blank" href="https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240626006251315?input=tw">told</a> Yonhap News Agency the drills were "defensive" and noted that the military will work to enhance "firepower operations capabilities and the completeness of the military readiness posture through regular maritime firing exercises."The South Korean drills involved multiple rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, and K9 howitzers.Earlier this month, South Korea suspended a 2018 inter-Korean military accord it signed with North Korea, which banned drills, among other activities, from occurring in specified areas, including the border islands. North Korea had violated the accord roughly 3,600 times prior to South Korea's suspension.But now the drills are back. Earlier this month, a US supersonic B-1B Lancer bomber conducted the aircraft's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-supersonic-bomber-flew-first-korea-bombing-drill-in-years-2024-6">first live-fire bombing run</a> on the peninsula in seven years.<div type="image" title="soldiers examine various objects" height="3460" width="5028" msid="111295630" hostid="261" sizebytes="2322842"></div>As North and South Korea engage in various military activities, they have also been escalating tensions with balloons.Hundreds of balloons filled with trash, among other things, have been floating from North Korea toward South Korea since May, and in response, Seoul activists have been flying balloons with leaflets and speakers toward North Korea.CNN's Mike Valerio, who got ahold of one of the balloons, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/world/video/south-korea-north-balloons-activists-valerio-live-06263aseg2-cnni-world-fast">said that the speakers</a> have been playing an "anti-Kim Jong Un anthem." South Korean activists have a long history of sending anti-Pyongyang balloons into the North that have also carried <a target="_blank" href="https://ips-dc.org/koreas-balloon-war/">money</a>, thumb drives, and ChocoPie desserts.There's also been high-level diplomatic activity lately. After North Korea and Russia signed a new agreement that aligned their strategic interests and established a mutual defense pact, South Korea signaled it was re-evaluating some of its current positions, including on sending weapons to Ukraine.The North has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-south-korea-weapons-are-fueling-war-in-ukraine-2024-6">fueling Russia's war with its own shipments</a>, while South Korea has offered its support indirectly. South Korea has, however, expressed dissatisfaction with closer ties between Russia and North Korea."The government clearly emphasizes that any cooperation that directly or indirectly helps North Korea increase its military power is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is subject to monitoring and sanctions by the international community," South Korea's presidential office said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/south-korea-says-will-reconsider-providing-weapons-ukraine-yonhap-says-2024-06-20/">in a statement</a>.

South Korea's military fires on border islands for the first time in 7 years as a North Korean missile fails and the balloon war rages on

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US border officers have interrogated more than 30 ByteDance and TikTok employees, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2024/04/30/tiktok-employees-interrogation-border/?sh=2b7ba7ae247b">according to Forbes</a>.</li><li>They're being asked about ties to the CCP, and the security of American user data.</li></ul>US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have interrogated more than 30 ByteDance and TikTok employees traveling to the US from China, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2024/04/30/tiktok-employees-interrogation-border/?sh=2b7ba7ae247b">report by Forbes</a>.Employees are being asked a list of dedicated questions, including whether they have ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and what access ByteDance and TikTok have to American user data, Forbes reported, citing anonymous sources close to the matter.Employees from various teams — many of whom are Chinese — are also being asked by officers with CBP's Office of Field Operations about <a target="_blank" href="https://usds.tiktok.com/usds-about/">Project Texas</a>, per Forbes, which is TikTok's overarching security plan to wall off American data from China.They're also being asked about their educations and political connections, according to the outlet."CBP is tasked with protecting our nation's borders as well as enforcing numerous laws at our nation's ports of entry on behalf of a variety of other government agencies, including state and local law enforcement," a spokesperson for the agency told Business Insider. "All international travelers attempting to enter the United States, including all US citizens, are subject to examination."President Biden <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-explainer-bill-courts-2024-4">signed a bill into law last week</a> requiring Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores unless ByteDance divests its US operations within 270 days. TikTok has vowed to fight the legislation in court, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-ban-bill-is-first-amendment-disaster-may-survive-courts-2024-4">citing First Amendment violations</a>.Forbes noted that the inquiries by border officers are similar to a line of questioning Sen. Tom Cotton posed to TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singaporean-tiktok-ceo-shou-zi-chew-repeatedly-asked-chinese-2024-1">during a congressional hearing in January</a>. At the time, Chew reminded Cotton multiple times that he is Singaporean.TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Correction: May 1, 2024: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated which type of Customs and Border Patrol worker was questioning TikTok employees. The CBP staff were Office of Field Operations officers, not border patrol agents.

TikTok employees are reportedly being asked by US border officers if they're part of the Chinese Communist Party

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19895159" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Russia" source="keywords">Russia</keyword> is demanding that <keyword id="19895162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ukraine" source="keywords">Ukraine</keyword> arrest its own security chief and <keyword id="19988131" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extradite" source="keywords">extradite</keyword> him to <keyword id="19911500" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Moscow" source="keywords">Moscow</keyword>.</li><li>The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Vasyl Malyuk of being involved in <keyword id="21147102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="terrorist-acts" source="keywords">terrorist acts</keyword>.</li></ul>Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded on Sunday evening that Ukraine arrest the head of its own security services and extradite him to Russia. The ministry issued a <a target="_blank" href="https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1941886/#sel=5:71:UYF,5:73:FYU;5:35:nx3,5:55:jtW">statement</a> blaming Vasyl Malyuk, the chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, for an explosion at a bridge in <keyword id="19948445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crimea" source="keywords">Crimea</keyword> that Russia said killed five people in October 2022. The statement said the explosion was one of several "barbaric bomb attacks," mentioning them alongside the devastating <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moscow-concert-hall-attack-russia-crocus-city-hall-2024-3" target="_blank">Moscow concert-hall attack</a> in March that killed at least 140 people. Russia has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/03/23/1240472960/moscow-concert-hall-attack-deaths-putin">accused Kyiv of facilitating the concert hall attack</a>, with leader Vladimir Putin saying that Ukraine's authorities allowed the gunmen to pass through its borders. No evidence was presented to support this accusation, and the terrorist group ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the killings. As for the bridge explosion in Crimea, Malyuk said publicly in July 2023 that his agency was behind the attack. "It is one of our actions, namely the destruction of the Crimean bridge on October 8 last year," he told Ukrainian TV, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-crimea-bridge-attack-ad96fa2012be846600b8c2c6481d9166">per The Associated Press.</a> Before this admission, Ukraine was already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-admits-blowing-up-russias-bridge-to-crimea-2023-7">widely regarded as responsible for the bridge's destruction.</a> Russia's foreign ministry described the bridge attack as a terrorist act, and said it told Kyiv to "immediately arrest and extradite every person implicated." Moscow and Kyiv have been engaged in open war since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukraine's security service told local media that Russia's claims of Kyiv-sanctioned terrorism were "especially cynical on the anniversary of the liberation of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tell-everyone-what-they-have-done-to-us-a-month-of-terror-in-bucha-ukraine-2022-4">town of Bucha</a> and the atrocities committed by the Russians there." "So any words by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry are worthless," it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/31/7449029/">said in a statement, per Ukrainska Pravda.</a> The security service added that Putin himself is subject to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/icc-cements-putin-pariah-arrest-warrant-russia-war-crimes-ukraine-2023-3">arrest warrant</a> from the International Criminal Court, over accusations of his forces carrying out war crimes against children in Ukraine. The press team for the Security Service of Ukraine did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Correction: April 26, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the year of the Moscow concert-hall attack. It happened in March of this year, not March 2022.

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